


Sailor Sol: Homefront

by Allura99



Series: The Saga of Sailor Sol [2]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: F/M, Gen, Major Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:29:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 25,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26293411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allura99/pseuds/Allura99
Summary: Celeste returns from Japan to face new enemies, new allies, and a changing relationship with Jonathan. Book II of the Saga of Sailor Sol.
Series: The Saga of Sailor Sol [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1910440
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue: Under the Shadow of Night

A loud crash made her sit straight up in her bed, jerking her out of sleep. She dressed quickly and grabbed the baseball bat she always kept underneath her bed. Saying a quick prayer for protection, she crept down the hallway.

A large figure was rummaging through the refrigerator. The faint light of the dying light bulb only helped to conceal the person, not to reveal who it was. Soundlessly, she made her way to the front door.

However, she tripped over something. The beer bottle broke under her weight, the glass digging into her leg. Her muffled cry of pain drew the other person’s attention.

She felt herself being lifted off the ground by the collar of her shirt. Desperately, she clung to the bat and looked the intruder in the eye. “Dad?”

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” he yelled, wrenching the bat from her hands and throwing it across the room. “Did you think that you were going to use that on me? Thinking about getting the drop on your old man? Huh? HUH!”

The alcohol made his words slurred. “No, Dad. I thought that someone was breaking in. I was going for help.”

“Breaking in?” he roared, hoisting her higher. His face was inches from hers, the alcohol evident on his breath. “You thought someone was breaking in and you were going for help? Why didn't you use the damn phone!”

“The phone doesn’t work. The bill wasn’t paid.” She realized her mistake the instant his bloodshot eyes widen in fury.

She picked herself up off the floor, vaguely comprehending that he had hit her. Her eyes stinging, she stood up. Cursing her at the top of his lungs, he staggered toward her.

Realizing her situation, she dodged when he sprang at her. Ignoring his shouts, she ran to the front door. Jerking the protesting door opening, she jumped to the foot of the battered front steps.

The impact jarred her, reminding her of the glass still embedded into her left leg. Her father stood in the doorway, swaying. “Don’t come back!” he cried, shaking his fist. “Don’t ever come back!”

* * * * *

She ran through the streets until her leg couldn’t take it. She slowed but maintained a brisk pace, well aware of the situations that could be waiting for her. This would not be her first night on the streets.

Most of the kids she knew that were like her said that stuff at home were okay most of the time, when their folks weren’t boozing. However, she could never said that about Bill, her father. She could barely remember a time when he was sober.

He blamed her for her mother’s death, who had died in childbirth. She had been unwelcomed even before then, prompting her teenaged parents to marry. Yet, for some reason, probably what was left of his pride, Bill would not give his daughter up.

She wondered how she had survived to this point in her life. Granted her father hadn’t become violent with her until a few years ago, but he never paid much attention to her. She was grateful that she had had Nanna to take care of her as a baby.

However, Nanna had died when she was five, leaving her completely dependent on her father. She learned quickly how to take care of herself. But no matter how horrible life with her father was, she preferred it to being turned over to the state.

It would be days before she would even chance going back to the house. Yet, she didn’t have any money and no where to go. Zipping her thin cotton jacket higher, she began to dig through the pockets, hoping that there would be a dollar or two. However, the whole time, she was moving, constantly watching for signs of trouble.

She never saw the lady perched up on a nearby rooftop, watching her every move with acute interest. Satisfied that this was her target, the woman jump and glided to the ground, a few feet behind the girl.

Feeling a slight breeze, the girl immediately glanced over her shoulder. Seeing nothing, she faced forward again. Immediately, she noticed the tall lady with long, curly silver hair standing right in front of her. The girl recoiled but tripped as she tried to back away.

Smiling, the lady grabbed her shoulders, steadying her. “Don’t be afraid.”

“Who . . . who are you? What do you want?”

The lady’s smile broadened, her dark eyes sparkling. “I have great plans for you, precious Hecate. Great and wonderful plans.”


	2. Homecoming

Sailor Sol tried to ignore the burning pain in her side as she surveyed the area around her. A few battered streetlights and the moon bathed the streets with shifting shadows. A foghorn sounded in the distance, and Sol both blessed and cursed the gray mist that rolled in from the harbor.

A low growl snapped Sol back to her present situation. She desperately needed to put some distance between herself and the cat creature. Glancing around, she found a decaying balcony jutting from the second story of a nearby building.

She took a running start and jumped, grabbing the edge of the balcony with both hands. However, the glove of her left hand slid off the masonry, leaving a bright red stain behind. Biting her lip to muffle a curse, she wiped her hand on her skirt and reached again for the balcony's edge. Satisfied with her grip, she pulled herself up.

Sol backed against the wall and formed her Sun Staff. Then she seemed to blend into the shadows. She waited and soon the creature she had been battling came into the open street.

The creature was grotesque, its mangled form composed of both feline and human characteristics. This was the second monster Sol had encountered this week. The other, a bird person, she had encountered just two days earlier. These creatures seemed to be searching for something, following some kind of plan. However, Sol was at a lost to its motives.

She had to protect the city and the innocent people who had no idea what happened in the shadows of the night. It was a duty she performed alone, which made her battles harder. There was no back-up for her, no friends to run to her rescue. Sol was on her own.

The cat thing was sniffing, picking up the scent of Sol and her blood. The Sailor Soldier looked down at her stained hands. She had to finish this battle while she still had the strength. Gripping the Sun Staff tightly, she jumped to the balcony's edge.

The Sun Staff whirled above her head, the air currents shaking her hair and her skirt. "Up here, kitty-kitty," Sol taunted.

The creature looked up at the balcony, its yellow eyes gleaming as it spotted its prey. It licked its lips, a guttural purr escaping for its throat. It squatted and prepared to pounce.

"I don't think so," Sol stated. The staff suddenly went still in her hand. "Sol Corona Flare!"

The creature howled in pain as the arc of red-orange energy passed through its body. Sol watched the ashes blow in the wind with grim satisfaction. Yet, a sudden wave of nausea assailed her, bringing her thoughts back to her injuries.

She faced a difficult decision. She couldn't last much longer in her condition, already weakened by the blood she had lost so far. However, she didn't know how long she would stay conscious in her normal form and couldn't go to the hospital in her Senshi form.

That left one choice, an option that Sol dreaded. 'Please be up, Jonathan,' she prayed. 'That first aid training is about to pay off.'

* * * * *

Jonathan sighed and punched his pillow mercilessly. He had been trying to go back to sleep for nearly an hour, but a nagging feeling that something was wrong prevented him. 'What have I forgotten?' he wondered, staring up at the ceiling.

He glanced around the room, suddenly listening intently. A light tapping echoed through the otherwise silent apartment. Throwing the covers back, he walked into the living room, the direction of the noise.

A figure leaned against the outdoor surface of the French doors that lead to his modest balcony. Realizing who it was, Jonathan ran across the room and unlocked the doors. Stepping into the night air, he caught Sailor Sol as she slid weakly to the ground.

"Celeste! Celeste, come on! Open your eyes!"

Sol moaned and laboriously opened her eyes. It was a few moments before her eyes focused on his face.

"Jonathan," she whispered hoarsely. "I didn't mean to wake you up. I just couldn't go to the hospital like this."

He brushed some of her hair from her face with one hand, the other still cradling her to him. "Celeste, what happened?"

However, her form went limp and his free hand caught her head. She glowed, her red-orange aura enveloping her completely. As the light receded, Celeste in her normal form was in his arms.

He immediately noticed the blood that covered his t-shirt and now staining Celeste's blouse. Sweeping her up, Jonathan carried her into the apartment and placed her on the couch. Turning on the light, he immediately returned to the couch.

He lifted up the hem of her shirt, grimacing at the gash in her side. He moved to the bathroom and returned to the living room with the necessary supplies. Setting them on the coffee table, he debated on what to do first.

Jonathan decided that the gash required the most attention. Silently asking for her forgiveness, he took off her blouse. Grabbing the antiseptic, he applied some to a clean cloth and began to clean the wound.

Celeste moaned in pain, arching her back. Jonathan did his best to hold her still and continue to wash the cut. Drying the area carefully, he applied the appropriate bandaging. Satisfied, he moved on the other less serious cuts and scrapes.

"What did you fight, Celeste?" he asked her unconscious form. All of her injuries had been treated to the best of his abilities. He now realized that he couldn't leave her shirtless on his couch.

He carried her into his bedroom and gently laid her on the bed. Jonathan went into his closet and found a soft, fairly warm shirt. He returned to the other room and gently put it on her sleeping form. Kissing her forehead, he pulled the blankets over Celeste.

He left the room, turning off the light and closing the door behind him. He placed their dirty shirts in the washing machine and cleared the first aid stuff from the coffee table. With grim determination, he cleaned the bloodstains from the couch.

Satisfied with his efforts, Jonathan went back into the bedroom. Celeste was still sleep, but some color had returned to her face. He gently laid his hand against her forehead, grateful for the absence of a fever. Still, he would have to take her to the hospital, although he knew how much she hated them.

He pulled the blankets higher. He took an extra pillow and blanket from a closet. With a final glance over his shoulder, he went into the living room and stretched out in the recliner.

* * * * *

"If you will release Jonathan, I will go with you willingly, Scorpios."

"Celeste, you can't!" Jonathan cried. However, Gypsum's slap prevented the rest of his plea.

"I don't think you understand, Celeste-chan," Scorpios said, running a finger along the edge of her cheekbone. "You have a choice: Serenity or Jonathan. Although, Jonathan's just really what's left of Charon."

Scorpios turned and draped his arm around Jonathan's shoulders. "So, Sailor Sol, what is your choice?"

Sol closed her eyes to hide the forming tears. Cursing herself, she stepped back, becoming closer to Sailor Moon.

"You have made your decision, Sol. I hope you can live with it."

She watched helplessly as they lead Jonathan away. She watched Gypsum and Galena shove him through the portal. She stared, tears pouring down her face, as the portal closed.

Sol tried to leave. However, Pluto soon blocked her path.

"Get out of my way," Sol ordered.

"I can't let you do this, Tennyo-chan," Pluto said softly.

Sol tried to move forward but Pluto countered every moment. "Damn it, Setsuna, let me go!"

However, Pluto grabbed her shoulders. "Celeste, please, wait and let us help. Let me help."

"Setsuna, get the hell out of my way! Please let me go! Let me go! Now!"

* * * * *

Jonathan heard Celeste crying in her sleep and jumped out of the chair. He rushed into the bedroom and sat down on the bed beside her. She was sitting up, sobbing into her hands. Wordlessly, he hugged her.

She stiffened and looked up at him. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Oh, Jonathan, I'm so sorry." She placed her forehead against his chest and cried.

"Celeste, what's wrong? What are you sorry about?" He stroked her hair. "Celeste?"

She looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy. "That night in Tokyo . . . When Scorpios made me chose . . ."

She took a steadying breath. "I wanted to choose you. If Usagi wasn't so important to the future, I would have chosen you. I'm sorry for any harm that came to you because of my decision. Jonathan, I . . ."

"Shhh," he said softly. "It wasn't your fault, Celeste. I never blamed you."

"You should have," she replied bitterly, pulling away. "I have been nothing but trouble to you since you met me, Jonathan."

"Ten-chan," he whispered.

She choked on a sob, turning her face away from that understanding look in his eyes. "Please, don't call me that! I am not Shinsei Tennyo, not completely. And you are not Charon. I won't let you have feelings for me because of who we used to be."

He sighed. "Celeste, I've had feelings for you before you even left for Tokyo." He ran a hand through his hair. "Or have you forgotten those hours we spent in the airport together?"

"I haven't forgotten," she replied. She looked her shoulder at him. "You haven't asked me how I was injured tonight. Aren't you curious, Jonathan?"

He didn't know why she was angry, why she was suddenly being so cold. Her eyes narrowed into slits. In a huff, she turned to face him.

"I was fighting some kind of cat creature," she said, anger creeping into her voice. "It was the second one I have faced this week. It's the sixth I have fought since our return to the States."

"Dear God, Celeste," he gasped. "And you didn't think to tell me!"

"Honestly, Jonathan, how could you help me?"

"Oh, so I'm to just sit around and wait to patch you up. What happens you get seriously hurt again? What if you don't make it to my apartment the next time?"

"Then I die."

"Are you even listening to what you are saying?!" he cried. He shook her by her shoulders. "You are nineteen years old, Celeste! You should be worrying about college mid-terms, not fighting monsters and dying!"

"Usagi has been fighting since she was fourteen," Celeste replied.

"Usagi also has other Sailors to help her. You, Celeste, don't have that luxury."

He ran another hand through his hair in frustration. "God, I don't know what I would do if you died, Celeste!"

Celeste watched him for a moment before she crawled across the bed and hugged him. Startled, he remained still for a moment. Then he hugged her back, laying his head on top of hers.

"You are one of the few friends I have, Jonathan," Celeste said quietly.

"I will always be your friend, Celeste," he stated. "I want to help you and be a part of your life. No one, not even someone as strong as you are, Celeste, is meant to go through life alone."

She was about to say something but yawned instead. Jonathan glanced at the alarm clock, realizing that it was four o'clock in the morning. "It's pretty late, Celeste, and you need you sleep. I will be in the other room if you need me."

"Jonathan, it's your apartment. You shouldn't have to sleep on the couch. I'd better go home."

Jonathan gave her a disbelieving look. "It's four o'clock in the morning, so don't even think about going anywhere. Get some rest. I will see you in the morning."

* * * * *

Celeste gingerly got out of bed, dimly realizing that it was six o'clock in the morning. Trying to ignore the pain and stiffness, she stumbled into the bathroom. She searched the cabinets until she found what she needed. She opened the Tylenol bottle and quickly downed two of the pills without water.

Cautiously, she stretched, trying her best not to aggravate any of the more serious injuries. Walking to the door, she opened it and found Jonathan peacefully sleeping in the recliner. With a slightly guilty conscience, she closed the door softly, retreating back into the bedroom.

She glanced down at the shirt she was wearing, grateful that the white shirt didn't look that bad with her lavender skirt. She briefly replayed the events of a few hours ago in her mind. 'Things have definitely gotten out of hand,' she thought.

Sighing, she walked into the bathroom and studied herself in the mirror. Last night's battle had certainly left its mark on her. Gently, she lifted the shirt and the top layer of bandages.

The wound was red, puffy, and ugly. 'Nothing to do but wait and see how it heals,' she decided. Washing her face, she got ready to leave.

* * * * *

Jonathan woke up as the sunlight poured through the windows of the balcony doors. He slowly sat up, surprised that he had slept that well on the couch. Wondering if Celeste was still asleep, he walked over to the bedroom door.

Knocking softly, he heard no answer and no movement in the room. He opened the door and sighed, leaning against the doorframe. He realized that he really wasn't surprised that he was staring at the made-up bed. Shaking his head, he went into the bathroom to take a shower.


	3. A Different Type of Battle

Celeste leaned against the door of her apartment, using her weight to open it further. With a sigh, she threw her keys and her purse into the recliner. Making her protesting body move, she entered the apartment and fumbled with the series of locks on the door.

The cab ride from Jonathan’s had been uneventful. The driver had remarked that he hoped that "the bastard responsible gets what’s coming to him.” Celeste had only nodded and quietly gave him the address of her building. The rest of the ride had been conducted in silence.

Fortune had also smiled upon Celeste when she encountered the unusually empty lobby of her building. There was usually someone in the lobby checking their mail or paying their rent during the daylight hours, yet not this morning. Also absent was the presence of Mrs. Johansen, the well-meaning busybody wife of the building manager.

Celeste crossed wearily across her living room to the couch and plopped ungraciously on the cushions. Her entire body ached and protested the very idea of further motion, let alone the action itself. Giving in, Celeste drifted off into a light sleep.

* * * * *

When she woke up, she judged by the sunlight it was about mid-day. She was still stiff and sore, but the almost overwhelming sense of weakness had diminished. Pressing her lips together in determination, she pulled herself from the couch and staggered into the bathroom.

As she waited for the tub to fill with water, she gingerly took off her clothes, paying close attention to every cut, scrape, and bruise. As a Senshi, she would heal more quickly than an average person would, but she would still be miserable for the next day or so. With another sigh, she reached into the cabinet and took some Tylenol and a multivitamin.

She turned off the tap and slowly lowered herself into the welcoming water. Leaning back, she covered her face with a damp cloth and let the warm water soothe her body. When she felt considerably less stiff, she washed thoroughly, noticing that none of the cuts appeared to be infected.

With careful movements, she dried off and dressed. As she brushed and braided her hair, she paused and studied her reflection in the mirror. Her left cheek was purple with a long, angry scratch, and her lower lip was busted. “You should see the other guy,” she muttered, quickly finishing the braid.

She strolled into the kitchen and set the kettle on to boil. While she waited, she made herself a salad and a sandwich. The kettle soon whistled and Celeste silently ate her solitary meal. Finished, she rinsed her dishes, restoring her kitchen to its usual immaculate condition.

Wandering back into the living room, Celeste walked to the windows and studied the city. She finally admitted that she was slightly hurt and puzzled that Jonathan hadn’t called her, at least to make sure she made home all right. ‘Well, your disappearing act this morning is part of it,’ a part of her scolded. ‘You didn’t even stick around to thank him properly.’

She exhaled a long breath and leaned her forehead against the cool glass. Christmas was quickly approaching, her second holiday season without a family. ‘Mom, Dad, Aunt Grace, I miss all of you,’ she thought, fighting back the tears.

Finally opening her eyes to look back out the window, she wondered what Jonathan would be doing for Christmas. Neither of them had spoken to the other about their families, the subject too personal for either to willingly broach. While she had been curious she and had often wondered about his family life, she respected his privacy as he had respected hers.

“Will you be going home for Christmas, Jonathan?” she murmured aloud. “Wherever your may be?”

Celeste turned her thoughts to the new year. She had been allowed to withdraw from school, citing personal reasons. While some of her professors had been reluctant to grant such a measure, Dr. Armstrong had championed her cause. When she had tried to thank him, he shook his head and asked her to keep in touch with him and to continue her studies.

She wondered what she would do with her life now. The deadline register for the spring semester had passed and her application for Edgars University would not be complete until the deadline for the summer session. ‘God, I haven’t even told Jonathan that I wouldn’t be in school next semester,’ she realized, her eyes growing wide.

‘I’ll will have to tell him,’ Celeste told herself. ‘I need to tell him I’m sorry about this morning.’

“Tonight,” she said aloud, standing straight. “I will invite him over tonight.”

She reached for her phone and dialed his number. She grew uneasy as the phone continued to ring. By the time he answered on the fifth ring, she was about to hang up. However, she stopped when she heard his voice.

“Hello?”

For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

“Hello?” he repeated, his tone slightly annoyed.

Taking a deep breath, Celeste forced herself to speak. “Hi, Jonathan. It’s Celeste.”

Again, there was another nerve shattering pause. “Hello, Celeste.”

“I know that I shouldn’t have disappeared this morning, especially after you helped me out last night. I’m sorry.”

“Okay.”

She fought down a surge of irritation at his forced reply. ‘Swallow your pride. He’s worth it,’ a part of her coached.

“I need to talk to you, Jonathan. Would you let me cook you dinner tonight?”

“I don’t know, Celeste. I had plans.”

“Please, it’s important that we talk. Besides, I’m a decent cook and it’s a free meal.”

There was another lengthy pause before she heard his sigh. “What time should I be there?”

“How about six?”

“Fine.”

“Okay, I’ll see you tonight.”

“Bye, Celeste.”

She hung up the phone and studied her apartment. She would do some dusting and vacuuming before heading to the grocery store. She desperately wanted to make things right with him.


	4. Clearing the Air

Jonathan parked his car and walked briskly down the sidewalk to Celeste’s apartment building. He had only visited his red-haired friend a few times before, but he liked the surrounding neighborhood, including the coffee shop two blocks down. With a sigh, he plunged his hands into the pockets and quickened his pace.

‘Why am I doing this?’ Jonathan wondered for the hundredth time since Celeste’s phone call earlier that afternoon. He stopped outside the doors of the building, staring at the buzzer. ‘Last chance to run.’ The idea was very tempting.

“Hello, Jonathan,” a shrill voice cried. “How are you!”

The young man grimaced before meeting the smiling face of Mrs. Johansen. The wife of the building manager made it her job in life to know everything that happened there. With a beaming smile, she handed Jonathan a bag of groceries.

“Are you here to see your friend, Celeste?” she asked, digging through a monster purse in search of something.

“Yes,” Jonathan replied reluctantly. “I’m supposed to meet her at six.”

Mrs. Johansen paused and glanced at her watch before resuming her search. “Oh, you’re early. Such an admirable trait in a young person.”

With a laugh of triumph, she pulled a rather large key ring out of her purse and proceeded to unlock the door. “Don’t worry about buzzing her. I’ll let you in. Oh, and you’re such a dear for helping me with my groceries.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied in a dazed tone as the woman ushered him through the door and to her second floor apartment, maintaining a constant stream of conversation the whole way.

* * * * *

Celeste rinsed the pot and placed it in the drying rack. She brushed a stray lock of her red hair with the back of a sudsy hand. With a sigh, she glanced at the clock.

Her sigh became an exclamation as she noted the time. “He’s going to be here any minute!” she cried, racing through the tiny apartment to ensure that everything was perfect.

Assured that her living room and her dining area were cleaned, she checked on the food in the oven. She froze when she heard the knock on the door. Quickly, closing the oven door, she ran to the door.

She smoothed her shirt and the front of her pants while taking a deep, steadying breath. With a hesitant smile, she opened her door. Her greeting died on her lips as Jonathan stared at her wide-eyed and then starting laughing.

“What?” she asked, her annoyance growing as he continued to chuckle.

He held up his hand and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” he stated, after finally regaining control of himself. He brushed a couple of his fingers over her hair, holding a part of the bubbles that were residing in the red tresses.

Celeste felt her cheeks grow warm and quickly tried to remove the remaining suds.

“I hope that you didn’t go through too much trouble for this,” Jonathan commented as he followed Celeste’s retreating form into the apartment.

“Not really,” she stated, glancing over her shoulder at him. A faint ding drew her attention to the kitchen. “Oh, the casserole. Just a second.”

He watched her for a moment, realizing that both of them were feeling uncomfortable. ‘Maybe I should be more understanding with her,’ he thought. He entered the kitchen and began to help her set the table.

* * * * *

Celeste nudged her plate forward and rested her elbows on the table. The meal she had just shared with Jonathan had been a little awkward, but they had managed some casual conversation. The silences that interspersed the snips of dialogues were fairly comfortable.

“Dinner was great, Celeste,” Jonathan said, collecting his dishes and hers as he rose from his seat.

She placed her hand on his. “I was serious about us having a talk, Jonathan,” she stated quietly.

With a reluctant nod, he sat back down. He leaned back in his seat and tried to prepare himself for what she was going to say. ‘However, with Celeste, there’s never a lack of surprises,’ he thought.

“I won’t be going back to school this semester,” she said.

“Honestly, Celeste, you were going to have to transfer at the end of this semester. It was probably a good idea to transfer early.”

She shook her head, turning to look out the small window. “I won’t be going to school at all, Jonathan. I withdrew completely before I left for Tokyo. My application for Edgars didn’t arrive on time, so I will only be considered for summer admission.”

He stared at her for a moment. “So, what are you going to do?”

She gave a heartless laugh. “I really don’t know. I guess I will focus on training. If I learned anything from my battles with Scorpios, it’s that I’m more than a little rusty.”

“You never told me everything that happened in Tokyo, Celeste,” he said quietly.

She finally turned away from the window to face him. “What would you like to know, Jonathan?”

“What happened in that throne room, for one thing. I was so out of it I can only remember pieces.”

“Scorpios had killed Galena,” she stated, her green eyes distant. “I wouldn’t join him, so he challenged me to one last battle. During the fight, I lost the Sun Staff and he was quickly gaining the upper hand. So, I used my Celestial Phoenix attack.”

“Why?”

Her eyes locked with his. “Scorpios had to been stopped, and I had to protect you.”

“Celeste, I . . .”

She shook her head and turned once more to the window. “Please, no pity and no gratitude. You’re my friend, Jonathan, even if I don’t always treat you like it.”

Celeste forced herself to smile when she finally looked back at him. “So, what are your plans for Christmas?”

Jonathan folded his arms across his chest. “My family would like me to go home, but I'm not going.

"You’ve never mentioned your family.”

“Neither have you,” he stated.

“I don’t have any.”

His brown eyes widened in surprise. “Huh?”

Celeste gave him a sad smile. “I don’t have any living relatives. My parents were killed in a boating accident when I was twelve. They were only children, and my grandparents had already passed on. My great aunt, Grace, came to live with me. She died a month after my high school graduation.”

He shook his head. “I had no idea.”

“It’s not something I get around to telling everyone,” she replied gently. “So, what about your family?”

He shrugged. “My parents, a younger sister, and a younger brother live in South Carolina. My father and I had a huge fight about college. Well, a huge fight about a lot of things. I refused to go to his alma mater and I left after we said some pretty nasty things to each other. I still talk to my mother.”

“And your father?”

“I haven’t talk to him in nearly two years and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

She shook her head. “You’re both idiots.”

“I didn’t ask your opinion, Celeste.”

“Since when has that ever stopped me?” she asked, drawing a snort and a reluctant smile from her friend. “Family is something precious, Jonathan.”

“I really don’t need a lecture, okay, Celeste?”

“Fine,” she muttered, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender.

A silence fell between them for a few moments. Then, they made eye contact once more.

“Are we still friends?” she asked quietly.

“Sure,” he replied with a slight smile. “Though I don’t know where this sudden source of patience has come from.”

Celeste threw her napkin at him before taking a few dirty dishes to the sink. Laughing, he picked up some dirty glasses and followed her. The evening passed quicker and happier.


	5. A Day in the Park

A persistent ringing woke Celeste from a deep sleep, and it took her several sleepy moments to realize that it was her phone. Rubbing her eyes with the back of one hand, she reached for the phone with the other. “Hello?”

“Hi, it’s Jonathan.”

“You’re too cheerful for this time in the morning,” she grumbled, trying to find her clock.

He laughed, irritating her further. “Do you even know what time it is?”

“No,” she admitted reluctantly.

“Well, it’s after nine, sleepy head.”

She brushed some of her hair out of her face. “Is there a reason for this call other than torturing me?”

“Actually, yes, there is. Do you have any plans for today?”

“Today’s Saturday, right?” she asked, trying to hide a yawn.

“Last time I checked.”

She completed the yawn. “Then, no, no set plans.”

“Would you like to go to the park with me?”

Her eyes fully opened. “Today? It’s like thirty degrees outside and you want to go to the park?”

He chuckled. “Well, you know it won’t be crowded. So, what do you think? We could grab a movie later.”

“Sure, why not?” Celeste replied. “What time do you want to meet?”

There was a pause. “I’ll pick you up in about two hours. Is that okay?”

“Sure.”

“Then I’ll see you later, Celeste. Bye.”

As she hung up the phone, she couldn’t help but wonder he was up to.

* * * * *

Although the park wasn’t crowded, it was far from deserted. Children were chasing each other and taking turns on the playground equipment. Their parents, grandparents, or babysitters watched from nearby benches, laughing at the antics, while couples strolled by arm in arm.

As they walked through the park, Celeste realized that Jonathan was leading them in a definite direction. “Where are we going?” she asked, wrapping her scarf tighter.

He pointed to their right to an ice rink. Several people were enjoying themselves, from the advanced skaters performing spins and jumps to the beginners falling repeatedly to the ice. Jonathan gave her a huge smile.

“No way,” Celeste protested, grabbing his arm to make him stop.

“Why not?” he asked. “It will be fun.”

“I do not skate. Period.”

He sighed. “Have you even tried it?”

“Yes,” she replied crisply, “and I couldn’t sit down for a week due to the bruises.”

He managed to not to laugh at her but he couldn’t hide his smile. “Well, I'll make sure you don’t fall. You’ll learn in no time.”

“Jonathan, no!”

He grabbed her arm and began pulling her to the rink. “Just give it fifteen minutes. I promise I won’t let you fall.”

“Are you deaf? I can’t skate!”

He gazed at her with puppy-dog eyes. “Ten minutes? Please, Celeste.”

“Oh, all right,” she cried, groaning in defeat. “But if you let me fall, Jonathan, you’ll regret it.”

“I promise,” he replied and pulled to the rental station to select their skates.

* * * * *

Jonathan stepped confidently on the ice and turned to Celeste, who clung to the wall of the rink for dear life. “Come on, Celeste,” he called, motioning for her to move onto the ice with his hands.

She shook her head. “I’m happy just where I am.”

“Ten minutes, you agreed,” he reminded her and pried her hands from the hall.

She held his arms tightly as she stepped timidly on the ice. He chuckled silently at the irony of Sailor Sol being afraid of ice-skating. As her second skate touched the ice, she suddenly pitched forward, landing against his chest.

Jonathan held her gently until she managed to regain her balance. He gradually moved away from her and began to lead her around the edge of the rink. She blushed as she realized that four- and five-year-olds were making laps around them. However, Jonathan’s calm, steady voice made her pay attention to his instructions and not the giggling children.

“I think that you're getting the hang of this,” he stated as they finished their second trip around the rink. “Ready to let go?”

“Are you kidding!”

He shook his head. “I promise not to let you fall.”

She stood rigidly still as he let her go. They stared at each other until it became apparent to Jonathan that she wasn’t to go move anytime soon. ‘At least not without some coaxing,’ he thought.

“Okay, Celeste, just do what we practiced,” he urged her gently, ready to grab her if she lost her balance or tripped.

She nodded and took a deep breath. She managed a few strides and beamed at Jonathan with a dazzling smile. However, she quickly lost her balance and Jonathan wrapped his arms around her, preventing her from falling to the ice.

Celeste looked up at him, a blush flaming her cheeks. She was clinging to his shoulder, her face inches away from his. Jonathan's arms were locked around her waist, holding her to him.

“Uh, thanks,” she said softly, licking her lips.

He stared into her emerald eyes and unconsciously pulled even tighter to him. “You’re welcome.”

They stared at each other for a few moments, forgetting about the people around them. Celeste swallowed hard as Jonathan lowered his head to hers. She closed her eyes and felt his lips brush against hers. With a sigh, her arms slid around his neck and she pressed her lips against his.

“Well, well, well,” a voice boomed, “Mackenzie, I didn’t realize that you were the type for public displays of affection.”

The interruption caused the pair to jerk apart. Celeste began flailing again and Jonathan grabbed her arm to hold her up. They turned to the source of the voice and a tall man with longish blond hair chuckled.

“Hey, Mac, it’s been a long time. How ya doing?” the man asked, extending his hand to Jonathan. “And who’s your lovely friend?”

Jonathan ignored the proffered hand, his rudeness and the fierce expression on his face surprising Celeste. His grip on Celeste’s arm tightened and he pulled her slightly closer to him. “Ian, it hasn’t been long enough.”

“Now, now, Mac, is that anyway to greet an old friend?”

“Last time I checked, we weren’t friends. Let's go, Celeste.”

Ian shook his head. “So, I guess you don't want to hear the news from home. When’s the last time you were home, Mac? Bethany’s turning into quite a looker, you know.”

“Stay away from my sister, Ian.”

“Oh, I’ll try,” he replied, “but I don’t know if she’ll stay away from me.”

Ian turned his attention away from Jonathan to Celeste. “So, Celeste, is it? Want to grab a bite?”

“No,” she replied and wrapped both arms around Jonathan’s. “Jonathan, we’re going to be late.”

“You’re right.” Without further ado, Jonathan put an arm around Celeste’s waist and helped her make her way back to the edge of the rink, leaving Ian on the ice.

“Who was that?” Celeste asked as they headed out of the park.

“A guy I knew in high school,” Jonathan explained, running a hand through his hair with a sigh. “One of the few people I know that can set me off just by saying hello.”

“What a charmer,” she quipped, and he smiled.

“Anyway, it’s a long story that I rather not get into right now,” he said.

She glanced at him with a thoughtful expression. “One of these days we will have to get around to trading some of these long stories.”

He nodded and she laced her fingers through his. They paused and looked at each other, trying to judge the other's reaction. With a half smile, he leaned forward and kissed her briefly. At least that was his intention until her arms wrapped around his neck. After a few moments and several discreet coughs from passersby, they separated.

“I think we need to talk, don’t you?” she asked softly, as he took one of her hand and they started walking again.

“Where would you like to go?”

She glanced around the park. “How about we just keep walking? I really don’t feel the cold anymore.”

He squeezed her hand and pulled her closer to him. “I know what you mean.”


	6. The Visitor

Celeste and Jonathan rounded a corner a few blocks away from the park.

“So, Mac,” she began with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, “what do you want to do now?”

He shook his head. “Don’t call me that.”

“Mac? Why not?”

“I just hate it,” he replied with a shrug.

“All right,” Celeste said, knowing that it went far beyond just that. “Do you still want to catch a movie?”

“Actually, I’m kinda hungry. How about you?”

Her stomach rumbled. “I think that’s a yes.”

“Okay, food it is. There’s a restaurant not far from here.”

“Sounds good to me,” she agreed.

Just down the block there was a piteous howl followed by a bunch of laughter. Celeste scanned the area around them and saw a group of boys in an alley across the street. They were struggling to hold something down.

“Hey!” Celeste shouted, running toward the boys with Jonathan at her heels. “What are you doing!”

The boys looked up. Seeing the angry redhead approach, they got and ran, leaving their plaything behind. Glaring at the retreating backs of the boys, she knelt down next to the squirming bundle. She careful untied the knots, whispering softly to the creature underneath the strings and ropes.

A cream-colored furry head managed to poke through. “Meow.”

“You poor thing,” Celeste murmured as she untied the last of the knots. She scooped the small cat up and showed it to Jonathan. “Can you believe those little creeps?”

Jonathan gave the kitten a gentle scratch behind the ears. “It seems to be okay.”

“Yeah,” Celeste said, stroking its head. She noted a spot on its forehead and peered closer at it. She rubbed the fur. The yellow crescent on its head was real.

“Celeste, is something wrong?”

“No,” she replied. “The spot on its head reminded of Luna.”

“Luna? Usagi’s cat?”

She nodded. “I want to take it home.”

“Okay,” he agreed, giving the cat a final scratch. “I’ll take you both home.”

“I’ve got some Chinese food in the fridge if you’re interested.”

“Sounds great.”

* * * * *

Jonathan was channel surfing as he and Celeste ate dinner in her apartment. The cat had feasted on some canned tuna and was wandering around the apartment. After finding a comedy, Jonathan set the remote on the coffee table.

“You’re sure you want to keep her?” he asked, taking a bite of fried rice.

Celeste nodded. “It gets lonely around here by myself. I tried a plant, but it didn’t work out.”

“Ever thought of a roommate?”

“If I knew the person first, then sure,” Celeste stated. “But the idea of a complete stranger sleeping in the room next to mine doesn’t sit well with me.”

The cat came back into the living room from Celeste’s bed, carrying something in its mouth. It jumped to Celeste’s lap and proudly dropped the object. Celeste picked up her henshin stick, the red-orange surface gleaming in the light.

“Nosey cat,” Celeste chided, gently shoving the cat off the couch.

Jonathan laughed. “That cat may be more trouble than you bargained for, Celeste.”

She gave him an evil look. The cat jumped on top of a nearby chair, watching the two humans intently for a moment. Then, it bowed its head.

“I’m afraid he is right, Celeste,” the cat said.

“Another talking cat?" Jonathan asked.

"Apparently," she replied. "Who are you?"

“My name is Selene," the cat answered, "and Sailor Pluto has sent me from Crystal Tokyo to help you.”

Celeste studied the small cat for a moment. “You’re Artemis and Luna’s daughter?”

The cat nodded. “Yes, their second child. My mission is help you, Sailor Sol, face your new enemies and to awaken the other Sailor Soldiers.”

“But all the Senshi from the Silver Millennium have been awakened,” Celeste stated.

Again, Selene nodded. “That’s true. However, they are others who have been chosen as guardians to fight evil. It is these individuals that can become the new Sailor Soldiers.”

“But how will we know who they are?”

The cat sighed. “All Pluto and Mother would say was that we would know.”

Celeste sighed as well, leaning back against the couch. She would have new enemies to facec. She wondered about these new Sailor Soldiers. While she didn’t know who they would be, she would gladly welcome the help.

“Does it ever stop?” Jonathan asked.

The cat shook its head sadly. “No, not until all evil has been destroyed.”

Celeste leaned further against the cushions. “It looks like I have a long career ahead of me.”


	7. Silent Night

Celeste gave her hair a final fluff as the buzzer ran. Nearly tripping over Selene and then her skirt, she grabbed the wall to regain her balance. The cat retreated to the opposite side of the room.

“Sorry, Celeste,” the cat said, jumping to the top of the chair.

Giving the cat an annoyed glare, she hit the intercom button. “Yes?”

“It’s Jonathan. Can I come up?”

“Of course,” Celeste replied, pressing another button. She heard the door unlock over the system. “See you in the lobby in a few minutes.”

“No, I’ll come up there. Just give me a minute.”

“Okay.”

With a sigh, she turned and leaned against the wall. “Are you sure you don’t know what he has planned, Selene?”

The cat shook her head. “Why don’t you stop worrying and just enjoy it?”

“I don’t like surprises,” Celeste grumbled, smoothing the skirt of her dress.

A few days ago, Jonathan had asked her to join him for a Christmas Eve celebration. He hadn’t given her any details. The only thing he had asked her to do was to dress formally. In the spirit of Christmas, she had chosen a dark green dress.

However, now, she felt little of the Christmas spirit. Something had been nagging her all day. It wasn’t a warning of an attack, but the lack of any new creatures had left her uneasy. Things had been too quiet, or, she realized grimly, she had been too distracted to notice.

“I really don’t like surprises.”

Selene jumped down and rubbed against Celeste’s legs. “Please, try to have some fun tonight, Celeste.”

“You know a lot more than you are letting on, don’t you, Selene?” Celeste asked gently, looking down at the cat with an unreadable expression.

Selene froze, surprised by the comment. When she started to speak, Celeste shook her head. The cat became even more confused.

“I know about secrets, Selene,” Celeste said quietly. “All that I ask is that you are truthful with me and that you perform your mission.”

A knock on the door halted the conversation. Celeste grabbed her purse and her wrap. “I’ll see you later, Selene,” she called over her shoulder. Then, giving Jonathan a quick kiss in greeting, she shut the door.

* * * * *

“You look beautiful,” Jonathan said, twirling her around to see all of her.

Celeste laughed, glad that they were alone in the elevator. “I hope so. This is your Christmas present.”

Pulling her to him and tipping her back into a dip, he lowered his face within inches of her. “Then this is my best present ever.”

“You poor deprived child,” she teased.

However, being with him was the best gift she had ever received. She couldn’t think of anything that she could want more. Suppressing a giggle, she thought how he looked in the tuxedo was just an added bonus.

The elevators reached the lobby and opened its doors with a ding. The couple was pulled out of the moment by the landlady’s gasp. Blushing slightly, they quickly exited.

“Merry Christmas,” Jonathan said, leading Celeste toward the doors of the building.

“Yes, Merry Christmas, Mrs. Johansen,” Celeste called.

The expression on the lady’s face had the pair laughing as they entered the crisp December night. Shaking her head, the older woman carried her purchases into the elevator. As the doors closed, she smiled.

“Seeing you smile, child, makes it a merry Christmas, indeed.”

* * * * *

Shifting the box to her other arm, Sofia worked on turning up the collar of her coat to fight the icy December wind. She was looking forward to a couple of days off, particularly from both work and school. But more importantly, it was Christmas Eve and she would soon be home with her family.

“Feliz Navidad, Sofia!”

Setting the box of gifts and food on the hood of her car, she turned in the direction of the voice. She smiled when she saw it was the other receptionist. “Merry Christmas, Alicia! Your pronunciation is getting better.”

“Thanks,” Alicia replied. “I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

“Bye,” Sofia said, waving.

She watched the blonde head to the other end of the parking toward her car. Humming “Jingle Bells” under her breath, she pulled out her keys and unlocked the car. As she was putting the box in the backseat, she heard a scream

Sofia scanned the parking lot and saw someone attacking Alicia’s car, trapping the other woman inside. Forgetting her car, she ran to the other end of the parking lot. Alicia needed her help.

“Hey, hey! Leave her alone, ugly! Take on someone your own size!”

As the person turned to face her, Sofia realized that it wasn’t a person at all. It had appeared human, yet it was covered with scales and fins. It smiled at her, its yellow eyes gleaming in the dim light of the parking lot.

“Sofia, run!” Alicia cried. “Run!”

Heeding, Sofia turned and ran. Despite the pounding of her heart, she heard the creature gaining on her and Alicia’s desperate screams for help. As the creature tackled her to the pavement, she vaguely wondered where the hospital security guards were.

* * * * *

“Celeste, are you all right?”

At the question, she turned from the window and its view of the city’s skyline. She and Jonathan had had a lovely dinner earlier and were enjoying a few moments gazing at the city from an enclosed observatory. It should have been a perfect evening, but her old worries were still plaguing.

“Huh?” She glanced up and met Jonathan’s concerned gaze. “Oh, I’m fine.”

“You’ve been kinda out of it all night,” he said. “Are you sure?”

Nodding, she pulled her wrap tighter around her shoulders. However, Jonathan grabbed her wrist. She swallowed at the intense emotions swirling in his brown eyes.

“Is it me, Celeste?” he asked quietly, grateful that they were alone for the moment. “Am I moving too fast? Do you even want to be here?”

Her jaw swung open slightly and she gaped at him. Sighing in defeat, he released her arm. “I’ll take you home if you want.”

Celeste cupped his cheek. She wanted so much to explain everything to him, and yet, she didn’t want him to worry about her or burden him with her concerns. She slid her hand to the back of his neck and kissed him, trying to reassure him.

“I want to be here, Jonathan,” she whispered as she pulled away. “I want to be with you.”

“Then why are you being so distant with me, Celeste?”

“It’s Christmas Eve, Jonathan,” she said, pulling him closer to her. “Let’s enjoy ourselves. I promise I’ll try to forget about the Senshi stuff.”

“Is that what’s bothering you?” he asked, running a hand through her hair.

“I don’t want you involved in this,” she said quietly. “Let’s enjoy this night.”

“I’m already involved in this,” he stated. “I don’t want there to be any secrets between us, Celeste.”

“Not so much as secrets as memories,” she murmured quietly, looking down.

Cupping her chin, he forced her to look up at him. “What do you mean?”

She shook her head. Then, she shuddered. As the quivers subsided, she opened her eyes.

“I have to go.”

“Celeste, please, wait,” he asked, grabbing her arm.

She gave him a kiss. “I have to go, Jonathan. There’s an attack.”

Reluctantly, he let her go. “Be careful,” he said. “Please.”

She nodded. “I’ll meet you back at your place, okay?”

“Okay.” Cursing himself, he watched her disappear into the shadows.

* * * * *

“Somebody help us!” Alicia screamed, pounding on the back windshield of her car. The creature had pushed it over on its side and buckled the other doors, trapping the blonde woman inside. “Help!”

Sofia tried to shove the fish creature off of her but it had pinned her arms to her side. It stared down at her, clearly enjoying her discomfort. “What do you want!” she screamed.

“Pretty,” it croaked.

“Oh, God,” Sofia cried, nausea assailing her. “Get off! Get off of me!”

Suddenly, her forehead felt hot. She screamed as the yellow light erupted, throwing the creature several feet away. The light flared again and covered her entire body.

The fish creature staggered to its feet, shaking its head. At Alicia’s continued screams, it went back to the car. With a hefty shove, it sent the car and its occupant into the concrete wall surrounding the parking lot.

The twisting metal and the shattering glass made a grotesque sound. Then it was eerily silent. With a satisfied smile, the creature crept toward Sofia.

The dark-haired girl swayed on her feet. Unaware of the creature, she gaped at the crumpled form of the car. “Alicia!”

“Pretty,” the creature said, its yellow eyes never leaving Sofia. “My pretty.”

“I don’t think so,” a voice shouted. “Sol Corona Flare!!”

The creature turned in time to see the red-orange arc of energy head toward it. It screamed as the arc tore through it. With a flash of light, the creature was reduced to a pile of ashes.

Satisfied that the creature was destroyed, Sol worked on extracting the blonde woman from the car. With a sigh of relief, Sol realized that she only had a slight concussion with some small cuts and bruise. The blonde would be all right.

“Alicia? Is she going to be all right?” Sofia asked, kneeling down beside Sol.

Sol nodded. “It should only be a slight concussion. She should be okay. Where is the hospital security?”

“That’s what I would like to know,” Sofia mumbled. She turned and faced the red-haired woman in the weird sailor costume. “Who are you?”

The other woman smiled at her. “I am Sailor Sol. Who are you?”

“I’m Sofia,” she replied, her voice shaky. “Sofia Martinez.”

Sol shook her head. “No, other than that. Who are you?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You are a Sailor Soldier, too, Sofia,” Sol stated. “Which one are you?”

Sofia gasped as she realized that she was dressed in a sailor outfit as well. The skirt, the top of her gloves and the knee-high boots were brown, while the two bows and her choker were yellow. “I don’t know.”

Sol nodded. “I could help you find out more, but you must make a decision.”

“What kind of decision?”

“There are more creatures like the one you faced tonight, Sofia,” Sol stated. “I need help fighting them. You have been chosen for this. You have been given the gifts for this task. It won’t be easy. And it can be dangerous. Therefore, the decision to fight is up to you.”

Sofia looked down at Alicia. If there were other creatures out there, she had to help stop them. “I’ll join you.”

“Thank you.” Sol stood up and held the Sun Staff in front of her with both hands. “Sol Awakening Fire!”

Sofia gasped as the whirlwind of fire surrounded. She was surprised that the fire didn’t burn her, infusing her with warmth and knowledge. With a contented sigh, she watched the flames fade away.

“I’m Sailor Athene,” Sofia said, “the Sailor Soldier of Wisdom.”


	8. A Christmas Gift

Jonathan studied the cordless phone he held in his hands, wondering what he should do. It seemed that Celeste had left hours ago, promising to meet him at his apartment. However, she had actually only been gone an hour.

But that fact didn’t ease his worries. His mind continued in its flashes of the crumpled form of Sailor Sol lying in a pool of blood somewhere in the cold December night with help too far away to matter. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms, trying to banish the images.

“Where are you?” he whispered, studying the phone again. He should start calling the hospitals. He pushed the “talk” button, bringing the phone to life, only to immediately turn it off.

He got up from the couch. He threw his jacket and tie over the back of the chair as he began to pace the expanse of his living room. Trying to force himself to relax, he undid his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves. Then, he undid a couple of buttons when the collar of his dress shirt seemed to constrict around his throat.

As he was about to give in and start calling the hospitals, he heard something on his balcony. Jonathan opened the doors in time to see Sailor Sol transform back into Celeste. With a prayer of gratitude, he hugged her fiercely, unaware that he was about crush the package she held.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He gently eased away from her but kept his hands on her shoulders. “For?”

“For worrying you,” Celeste replied, looking up at him. “You shouldn’t be involved in this.”

“You can’t change who you are,” he said, cupping her cheek. “I wouldn’t want you to. I will worry about you, Celeste, when you are out there as Sol, but I swear I will try to understand. I promise.”

She covered the hand on her cheek with one of hers. “Thank you.”

He gave her a gentle kiss. As Jonathan drew away, he became aware of the package she was holding. Realizing what he was looking at, Celeste smiled and handed the gaily-wrapped box to him.

“Merry Christmas, Jonathan,” she said.

“I thought that you in that dress was my gift,” he teased.

“So I decided to be generous and surprise you a little,” she said. “Aren’t you going to open it?”

“Let me go and get your gift,” he said, handing the box back to her.

“I thought that dinner was my gift,” Celeste cried as he reentered the apartment.

“So I decided to surprise you, too,” he called over his shoulder.

Smiling, Celeste studied the city as she waited from him to return. The city seemed so peaceful, but she knew too well how appearances were deceiving. She had seen that Sofia and her friend had been taken into the emergency room. Celeste had given Sofia her phone number, asking her to call her in a few days. While she still had reservations about getting someone else involved, she knew that she needed the help. Sofia, as Sailor Athene, would be a great ally.

She turned as she heard Jonathan come back onto the balcony. Both grinned as they exchanged boxes. At the count of three, Celeste tore into the festive paper. She paused she realized that Jonathan was watching her instead of opening his gift.

“What?” she asked, holding a scrap of paper in mid-air.

“I want to watch you open it,” Jonathan replied.

With a sigh, Celeste set the package on the ledge. “Fine, then you have to open yours first.”

“Why?”

Celeste folded her arms and lifted a fiery eyebrow.

“All right, all right,” he said, obediently ripping the paper. He paused as he lifted the item from its protective tissue paper. He looked at Celeste speechless.

Pulling her wrap tighter around her body, Celeste tried to judge his reaction. “Do you like it?”

“Of course, I do,” Jonathan declared, holding the picture.

It was a photo of the two of them laughing when they had visited a park in Tokyo. That whole afternoon had been magical. He had never seen Celeste so happy and care-free. It was one of the few times he had seen the sadness in her eyes completely disappear.

He glanced at Celeste. “How long have you had this?”

“Usagi sent it to me,” Celeste replied, “shortly after we returned from Tokyo. I’m sorry, but I kinda came up short on the guy gift list.”

“I love it,” he said. “Will you open yours now?”

She picked up the gift and unwrapped, very aware that Jonathan was watching her intently. She gasped as she saw the delicate music box. She gently opened it and listened to the music.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

He took the music box out of her hands and set it on the small table. “May I have this dance?”

“Here?”

Nodding, he held out his arms. “Why not?”

Hoping that the neighbors were too occupied to watch them, she moved into his arms. They danced to the soft music of the music box. As he looked down as Celeste’s serene face, he was hit by déjà vu. It was like he had done this with her before a long time ago. It wasn’t in one of his fantasies; the feeling was far truer, deeper.

‘Could it be a memory?’ he wondered, gently pulling Celeste closer to him. He didn’t have any of the memories of the Silver Millennium and he didn’t know why.

Celeste glanced up at him, the dreamy look fading from her eyes. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” Jonathan replied, placing his forehead against hers. “Right now, everything’s perfect.”


	9. New Friends, Old Friends

Sofia stuffed one last textbook in her bag. She was going to see Alicia at the hospital before heading to the library. Part of her desperately wanted to believe that the attack of the fish monster had been a horrible nightmare. However, Alicia’s injuries and the crumpled remains of her car had finally convinced that is wasn’t a dream.

If it was real, that meant that she was also Sailor Athene. Sighing, she took the folded scrap of paper out of her pocket and studied the phone number and address written on it. She had promised to help Sailor Sol in battles, but now she was having second thoughts. What did she know about fighting?

“First thing’s first,” she muttered, shoving the piece of paper back into her pocket. “Go see Alicia.”

Shouldering her bagpack, Sofia turned off her light and headed into the kitchen. She paused outside the kitchen when she noticed that someone was cooking inside. Slapping her forehead quietly, she realized that her mother was making her traditional Saturday morning breakfast for her family.

As she entered the kitchen, Sofia’s mother turned away from the stove and glanced at her oldest daughter. “Hija, it’s Saturday. What are you doing up so soon?”

“I’m going to go see Alicia, and then go to the library to study,” Sofia replied, stealing a piece of toast.

“You study so hard, Sofia,” her mother stated, watching her daughter thoughtfully. “You’re so young. You should be out having fun.”

“And you worry about me too much, Mama.”

“It’s a mother’s duty,” she replied. “Are you staying for breakfast?”

“I’m sorry, Mama, but I need to be going.”

The older woman nodded. “Well, if you are going to be late for dinner, call home.”

“I will,” Sofia promised, kissing her mother’s cheek. She grabbed another piece of toast and headed out the apartment door. "Bye."

* * * * *

Sofia placed the small bouquet of flowers in a vase and sat down beside the hospital bed. Alicia smiled. “Almost everyone I know has been by to visit. The doctor says that I can leave sometime tomorrow. I can hardly wait.”

“I bet,” Sofia replied with a smile. “I bet the nurses will be glad to have your cranky butt gone, too.”

“I’m in the hospital and you’re making fun of me!” she cried in mock astonishment. “I don’t believe you, Sofia!”

Glad that the blonde was in such good spirits, Sofia laughed. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry.”

“You give up too easily,” Alicia said, laughing. However, the laugh quickly turned into a hiss as the blonde grabbed her bandaged side. “Laughing is a little hard on the ribs.”

Sofia glanced away, feeling that she was responsible for what had happened. Seeing the fierce expression on the other woman’s face, Alicia grabbed her hand. Sofia glanced up and weakly returned Alicia’s beaming smile.

“I’ll know you’ll be truthful,” Alicia began, her grin broadening. “How bad do I look?”

“Huh?” Sofia asked, thrown by the question.

“How do I look?” Alicia repeatedly slowly.

Sofia shrugged. “You look great.”

“Truthfully,” she prompted.

“Sure you can handle the truth?”

Alicia lifted one blonde eyebrow. “Try me.”

“You look like you were hit by a bus.”

Alicia smiled and laughed softly, out of consideration for her bruised ribs. “Thanks, you should see the other guy.”

Their laughter quickly died. Alicia looked out the window at the stormy gray sky, while Sofia looked down at her shoes. Both were silent for several moments.

“I wonder what that thing really was,” the blonde said quietly. “Did we really make it up? Did we have some kind of shared hallucination?”

“I don’t know,” Sofia replied, looking down at her shoes. “Who knows what was in that punch at the party?”

Neither laughed at the joke. Sofia thought about the slip of paper inside her pocket, the scrap that held the key to their questions. She had to know what was happening. She needed to know if they had been other attacks and what role she had to play in the whole mess.

With a sigh, she looked up at Alicia. “You look tired. Maybe I should go?”

“Thanks for coming by, Sofia,” Alicia said, nodding. “It means a lot.”

“I know,” she replied, forcing a smile. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Alicia said. “Bye.”

* * * * *

Sofia walked up to the pay phone. As she dug through her pockets for the proper amount of change, she realized that there was no turning back. Gathering her courage, she put the coins in the proper slots and dialed the phone number.

“Hello?”

Sofia grabbed the phone in a white knuckled grip. “May I speak to Celeste Halley, please?”

“This is Celeste.”

“Celeste, this is Sofia Martinez. I'm ready for us to talk.”


	10. Explanations

“Bye,” Celeste said, slowly hanging up the phone.

Jonathan watched her carefully. “Is something wrong?”

“Sofia is on her way over,” Celeste stated, still staring at the phone. “She is coming over to find out more about being Sailor Althene.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“I don’t know,” she replied with a sigh. “I don’t want to be responsible for someone else being involved in all this fighting.”

“You gave her a choice, Celeste. It was her decision.”

She shook her head. “But it wasn’t an informed decision.”

“I don’t recall anyone asking you if you wanted to be Sol.”

“It’s my duty, Jonathan. Although I don’t know why I was chosen, I have important responsibilities as Sol.”

“Don’t you think that Sofia is Sailor Althene for a reason, too?”

She smiled. “Do you enjoy playing devil’s advocate?”

“Only with you, Celeste,” he replied with a chuckle.

“How did I become so lucky?” she quipped with a genuine smile.

“I don’t believe in luck.”

“What do you believe in?”

“A lot of things,” he answered slowly, “especially you. You should believe in yourself as well.”

She hugged him. "Thank you."

“Do you want me to leave before Sofia arrives?” he asked, reluctantly breaking their embrace.

Celeste shook her head. “You should stay. You’re involved in this, too. You and Sofia need to meet each other. Besides I might need your help in explaining everything to her.”

“Everything?”

“Yes,” she said. “I plan on telling her about the Silver Millennium, the other Sailors, Scorpios, us. Everything.”

* * * * *

As the elevator doors opened, Sofia readjusted her bagpack and took a deep breath. Glancing up and down the hallway, she exited and looked down at the scrap of paper that held Celeste’s address to reconfirm the apartment number. ‘Well, now or never,’ she told herself, as she head toward the appropriate end of the hall.

Finding the apartment, Sofia stood outside the door. Here were answers and likely danger. With a deep breath, she raised her fist and knocked on the door.

“Coming,” a voice called.

Sofia tried to smile when the door opened, revealing a tall, smiling woman with wavy red hair. Opening the door wide, Celeste stepped back, offering a silent invitation for her to enter. “Hello, Sofia.”

Nodding, Sofia readjusted the strap of her bagpack nervously. “It's nice to see you again, Celeste.”

Celeste waited for a moment. However, Sofia continued to linger in the hallway. “Would you like to come in?”

With another nod, Sofia entered the apartment. She stopped suddenly as she saw the tall, dark-haired man sitting on the couch, watching her with great intensity. With a sheepish smile, he rose from the couch and walked toward her.

“Sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” he said.

“I didn’t know that anyone else would be here,” Sofia said, her eyes darting back to Celeste.

“I hoped you wouldn’t mind,” Celeste stated. “Sofia, this is Jonathan McKenzie, my boyfriend.”

With a puzzled look, she held out her hand for Jonathan to shake, which he did. However, he had noted the faint blush on Celeste’s face as she had introduced him as her boyfriend. He would remember to ask her about that later. Right now, they needed to explain things to Sofia.

“I’m afraid this gets a little complicated,” he stated.

As she sat down in a nearby arm chair, Sofia gave a genuine smile. “I would honestly be surprised if it wasn’t.”

* * * * *

Sofia reluctantly said goodbye to Celeste and Jonathan, realizing that she would have to rush home in time for dinner. She promised to contact Celeste in a few days so that they could finish their conversation. With another rather hurried goodbye, she left.

“Well, I think that we rather well,” Celeste commented, leaning against her front door after she closed it. “Don’t you?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Jonathan replied, stretching his arms. “I do have one question, though.”

“Really?” Celeste asked, settling beside him on the couch. “What?”

“Why did you blush when you introduced me as your boyfriend?”

“I did not!”

“Oh, yes, you did, Celeste,”

Celeste shook her head. “I do not blush.”

"Really?" Jonathan asked, joining her at the door.

"Really."

"Liar." He began to tickle her mercilessly. She rolled and twisted, contorting her body in an effort to get away from his ruthless hands. She was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face.

“Stop,” she gasped, trying to grab his wrists.

“Not until you tell why you blushed,” he stated, moving one of his hands to a new spot.

“Okay, okay,” she cried.

With a smug smile, he stopped and stepped back. Brushing the tears off her cheeks, she tried to straighten her clothing as well. “You’re evil,” she muttered.

“Better tell me,” he said, “or it’s tickle torture again.”

“Okay, I’ve never had a boyfriend before,” she mumbled.

He leaned closer. “I’m sorry. I didn’t quite hear that.”

She looked up, glaring. “You’re my first real boyfriend. There, are you happy?”

He blinked at her a couple of times. “You’re kidding.”

“No,” she said. “However, if you knew some of the creeps I went to high school with, you wouldn’t be looking so smug right now.”

He pulled her against him, shaking his head in disbelief. “I would have never imagine.”

“Well, what about you?” she asked, arching one fiery eyebrow. “Should I be worried about a little black book somewhere?”

“A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell,” he intoned solemnly.

Celeste whacked his shoulder playfully. Laughing, but still rubbing the injured joint, he focused on her. His expression gradually becoming serious.

“Yes, I’ve had my share of girlfriends,” he replied, taking her hands in his. “But it was nothing like I have with you, Celeste.”

Lowering her head, Celeste studied their joined hands. “I know what you mean.”

“That day in the park,” he began, tipping her chin so she would face him, “was that your first kiss?”

Her cheeks flamed. “Yes.”

“Well, you acted like a pro,” he teased and was rewarded with another whack. “Do you know what?”

“What?”

“You do blush.”

With the quickness of a cat, she pounced, knocking him to the carpet. Soon she had him squirming in laughter as her lithe hands tickled him mercilessly. With one hand, she flipped her hair back over her shoulder, never letting up on her torture.

“You know something, Jonathan,” she said with a broad smile, “payback can be so sweet.”


	11. Clearing the Air, Again

“Celeste, are you okay?”

Celeste turned her eyes from the magnificent, fiery sunset and glanced down at Selene with a slight smile. “Just thinking, that’s all.”

“You seem to be doing a lot of that lately,” the cat stated with a frown.

Celeste laughed quietly. “You make that sound like a bad thing.”

The cat smiled and jumped on a chair near Celeste. Things had been strained between them lately, but for the moment, their situation was almost friendly. “It depends on what you are thinking about.”

There was a pause before Celeste gave a sigh. “Do you ever have doubts, Selene?”

“About what?”

“About what we are doing,” Celeste said, turning her eyes once again to the window. “Are we doing the right thing? Are we making the right decisions? Should we even be bringing more people into this mess?”

The cat gave a somewhat bitter laugh. “All the time. I wonder constantly why I was even chosen for this mission. Do you even know how old I am?”

Celeste shook her head.

“I’m sixteen years old, Celeste,” Selene stated. “I was floored when both Neo-Queen Serenity and Sailor Pluto asked me to come here. Diana would have been the better choice.”

“Perhaps they thought that that Chibi-Usa still needs her or you may have some talents that Diana lacked,” Celeste offered.

“I don’t know what those could be,” Selene said. “I haven’t been succeeding well with my mission.”

Celeste stood before Selene, concerned by her sudden self-reproach. “What makes you say that?”

“Well, we haven’t exactly hit off, have we? So, other than telling you that there are new enemies and new Sailors to be found, I haven’t begun to fulfill my mission objectives.”

“That’s not exactly your fault,” Celeste said quietly, “about us not hitting it off.”

“Celeste, you were right about me keeping secrets.”

The redhead smiled slightly. “After a while, I realized that your circumstances would involve some secrecy.”

“Not all of my secrets involve withholding information about the future, though,” Selene added. “There are some things I know about the present and parts of the past that I can’t reveal to you.”

Celeste watched the sunset fade into twilight, letting the conversation sink in. Selene hadn’t dropped any real bombshells, other than her true age and her believed failure in her mission. They had some much in common that she wondered why she hadn’t seen it sooner.

“I’ve told you I know something about keeping secrets, Selene,” Celeste stated gently. “I carry the memories of several lifetimes. I have the memories of a love so deep with someone almost exactly like Jonathan that it hurts to be near him sometimes.”

“He reminds you of Charon.”

Celeste nodded. “But not all of the time. Sometimes he will just do some little thing enough like him to awakening the remaining parts of Shinsei Tennyo in me.”

“But he’s not Charon, and you’re not Tennyo.”

“I try to tell myself that.” Celeste sighed. “Maybe someday this will all end. Maybe one day I won't have to be Sailor Sol anymore.”

Selene followed her gaze to the deepening night. “When do you think that will be?”

“I don’t know. Maybe when Sailor Cosmos comes into being. Maybe her existence will mean that Sailor Sol will no longer be needed.”

There was a lengthy pause before Selene asked, “What happens then?”

“Who knows,” Celeste replied with a shrug. “Maybe I will be reborn as a normal person or maybe I’ll just die. Either way would offer some peace, some freedom from the memories.”

“How many lifetimes do you remember?”

“More than I care to count.”

They watched the indigo sky fade to black and the moon begin its slow dance across the sky. With a yawn, Celeste stretched, wincing as various joints popped. Without glancing at a clock, she knew that she was head to bed soon.

“Maybe we can work on things being different between us,” she offered.

The cat nodded. “Yes, tonight was a good start.”

“Good night, Selene.”

“Good night, Celeste.”

With smiles, they each went to bed. Despite the darkness around them, things suddenly seemed much brighter.


	12. Reminiscing

Celeste reshouldered her gym bag nervously as she walked through the building. The departing students gave her curious glances as she passed. However, they were too happy to be leaving to pay her much attention.

As she entered the work-out area, Celeste saw an older woman putting some of the equipment away. ‘Some things don’t change,’ Celeste mused. Hearing Celeste approach, the woman turned away suddenly.

“Anastasia?” the woman asked after a moment’s hesitation.

“Hello, Nadia.”

The woman embraced her fiercely. “My dear, it’s been so long. How are you?”

“I’m doing okay,” Celeste replied, stepping back. “How are you? How’s Ricco?”

Nadia smiled, sweeping back some of her now graying hair from her face. “I’m well, Anastasia. Ricco is piddling around here somewhere. You know him, he never rests. But enough about us, what brings you here, child?”

“Well, I was wondering if I could,” but Celeste didn’t finish the sentence. With a faint smile, she shrugged, indicating her gym bag.

Nadia’s face brightened with understanding. “Oh, of course, Ana! You are always welcomed here. Most of the students have left for the day, so you will pretty much have it to yourself.”

“I won’t be hindering you or Ricco, will I, Nadia? I can always come back some other time.”

The other woman dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand. “Ricco actually sleeps here a couple of times a week. He still loves it so much.”

“I can understand that,” Celeste commented quietly, her eyes surveying the gym.

“I think that you would,” Nadia replied. “Well, I must be going. Please, don’t continue to be a stranger.”

Celeste nodded. “I’ll try, Nadia.”

With a final hug, the older woman gathered her belongings and left Celeste alone among the equipment and among the memories.

* * * * *

Celeste wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand, her breathing still hard. After doing some initial stretching and warm-ups, she decided to begin with the floor. She was surprised how easily her old routines came back to her as she had steadily worked her way to more and more difficult tumbling passages.

Leaning against the balance beam, she finally let herself think about all the hours she had spent in that gym during her childhood. Whatever was going on in her life seemed to disappear once she stepped inside it, her focus confined to the moves. Maybe that was why she came back now. She was still struggling with so many issues and not finding many solutions to any of them.

“Ana? Anastasia?”

Celeste turned in the direction of the voice and smiled. “Hi, Ricco.”

“I didn’t believe Nadia when she told me you were here,” he said, leaning beside her against the beam. “Are you still training, Ana?”

Her smile broadened. “No, I’m not training, Ricco. I gave it up a long time ago. Besides, where could I find a coach like you?”

“Nadia and I both were sorry to read that your aunt had passed on. We both wanted to be there for you, but we found out too late to attend the services.”

“It’s the thought that counts, and I appreciate your concern.”

The two fell into silence, immersing themselves with the memories. However, a few minutes later, Ricco chuckled. With a curious look, Celeste glanced at him.

“Forgive me, Ana. Sometimes things just strike an old man as funny.”

“What?”

Ricco sobered somewhat. “Do you remember Emily Ferris?”

“She was a few years younger than I was,” Celeste replied. “She was getting fairly good when I left.”

“Yes, well, she had convinced herself that she was as good a gymnast as you were. After you left, she decided it was time for her to step into the spotlight. However, she tried to do it by using some of your routine, especially on the beam.”

“Didn’t you try to stop her? I mean some of those skills were fairly advanced.”

Ricco nodded. “We all tried, but one afternoon she just did it. However, she over-rotated on one part and landed hard, practically sitting down on the beam before she fell off and hit the floor.”

“Ricco, I can’t believe you’re laughing at this!” Celeste cried. “She couldn’t have been seriously hurt by a stunt like that.”

“I know, Ana, I know,” he replied. “We all were scared to death when it happened until we realized that nothing was seriously injured but her pride..”

They both looked at each other and suddenly erupted in laughter. It was a few moments before they both calmed down. With a sigh, Ricco leaned back against the beam.

“What happened to her?” Celeste asked. “I’ve never heard of anything about her after I left like I did with Rebecca and some of the others.”

“She and her family decided to move elsewhere to find a better coach. They thought that Emily was not progressing as she should under my coaching. They couldn’t see that she didn’t have the talent or the drive to make it all the way.”

Celeste nodded. She had seen several people like that even at the young age she was when she left. Half-heartedly, she wondered where she would be now if she had stayed.

“You know, Ana, I have never seen anyone that has the affinity for the beam like you do.”

Celeste arched one fiery eyebrow. “Somehow I doubt that, Ricco.”

“I never lie, Ana,” he replied evenly, looking her dead in the eye. “At least not to my students.”

With a smile, Celeste decided not to start an argument. “Thank you for the compliment, Ricco. It means a lot coming from you.”

He nodded. “Did you try the beam?”

“No, I kept to the floor and just to the basics mostly.”

“Some of those passes were far from basic.”

Celeste looked at him. “You were watching me? Well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Old habits die hard, huh?”

“Too true, too true. And as much I hate to end this, we both should be heading home.”

Glancing up at the clock, she nodded. “Thanks for letting me stay, Ricco. It was good to see you and Nadia again.”

He waved the gratitude aside. “You are welcomed here anytime, Ana. I mean that. Nadia and I still care very much about you.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You are most welcome,” he stated sincerely. “However, you must make me a promise.”

The gleam in his eye made Celeste suddenly wary. “What promise is that?”

“The next time you come, you will tell me and let me watch you on the beam.”

“I’ll think about it, Ricco. It’s been a long time since I’ve done any real practicing.”

He smiled. “I bet you still have it though.”

“You’re still such a scoundrel,” she said, kissing his cheek. “Good night, Ricco.”

“Good night, Ana.”

With a final wave, she gathered her things and left the gym. As she zipped up her jacket against the biting wind, she couldn’t help to reflect that she felt better. She didn’t have any answers to her problems but her heart felt lighter.


	13. A Fateful Step

Shivering slightly, Celeste shoved her hands deeper into the pockets of her coat. An icy late December wind was gusting, making her regret her decision to walk to the gym. ‘I’ll be home soon,’ she reminded herself as she increased her pace.

However, as soon as she got to her block, she drew in a sharp breath. There was going to be an attack, if there wasn’t one already. Celeste remained frozen on the sidewalk for a moment, debating on what to do.

Lately, the creatures were getting stronger, and she never really knew what was waiting for her at an attack. While Sofia was willing to help, she had never fought before, let alone fought as a Sailor Soldier. As a result, Celeste was still reluctant to get her involved.

With her decision made, Celeste turned and began running down the street in the opposite direction of the apartment. No matter what she was about to face, it would be better for her to face it alone, instead of fighting and trying to protect Sofia at the same time.

Holding her transformation pen tightly in her hand, she prayed that she wasn’t too late to help.  
* * * *

“So, we’re heading, beautiful?” Ian asked, his speech slightly impaired by alcohol.

Smiling, the woman brushed her long, ash blonde hair over her shoulder. “It’s a surprise, darling. You wouldn’t want to ruin my surprise, would you?”

He smiled as she traced the edge of his cheek with her fingernail. “Would never dream of it. But you’d better hurry. I’m freezing my ass off out here.”

“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “I’ll warm you up in a minute.”

His drunken grin broadened as she led him into the alley. “You’d better, baby.”

“Oh, I always keep a promise,” she replied, the seductive smile still in place.

She turned suddenly, pressing him against the brick wall. His hands moved sluggishly to her waist. “Slow down, baby. Don’t you want to go inside first?”

“Why wait? We’re here now.”

Without warning, she punched him in the stomach. With a muffled gasp, he slid down the walls to his knees. Pulling his head up by his hair, she slapped him.

“Come on, fight me,” she ordered.

She pulled her arm back to hit him again, but he suddenly grabbed her wrist. He gazed up at her with a drunken smirk. With her smile still in place, she used her other hand to punch him again.

With a hiss, Ian clutched his face. As he fought to get air back in his lungs, the woman just watched dispassionately. All traces of her smile were gone.

“Is that all you have?” she demanded

Ian could only groan in reply.

“I really expected more,” she continued, “but it appears you’re not the one.”

Spinning on her heels, she turned and marched off into the shadows. However, before she completely disappeared, she paused. A pair of yellow eyes suddenly glowed in the darkness.

“Finish it,” she ordered. A contented growl answered. With a final glance back at Ian, she left him to his fate.

* * * * *

Celeste stood on the rooftop, peering into the darkness below her. She froze, straining for any sign that she wasn’t too late. As she was about to give up hope, she heard a muffled groan and an answering purr.

Dropping her gym bag, she raised her transformation pen. A part of her warned her to contact Sofia or Selene before she launched into battle. ‘I don’t have time for that now,’ she thought.

“Sol Star Power, Make-up!”

Closing her eyes, Sol concentrated and shortly the Sun Staff gleamed softly in the darkness. She lept off the roof and landed silently on the pavement below. Within moments, her eyes adjusted to the lack of light.

As she feared, another creature was attacking someone. With a silent curse, she quickly realized that she couldn’t use one of her attacks without possibly hurting whoever was in trouble. Tightening her grip on the Sun Staff, she stood to her full height.

“Hey, ugly,” she called, “how about playing with me instead?”

A pair of glowing yellow eyes focused on her, standing out vividly from the shadows. With a threatening growl, the creature tossed its victim away and lumbered toward Sol. Praying that the person could hang on, Sol began backing up. Intent on its new target, the creature followed.

Once she got the monster several feet away from the victim, Sol jumped on top of a dumpster and then behind the creature. The black, mangled leopard thing roared in anger, brandishing its claws. Without warning, it pounced.

The claws sunk into her shoulder as Sol fought to stay on her feet. With strength she didn’t know she possessed, she threw the creature off of her. With a bang, it crashed into a pile of trash.

“Sol Corona Flare!”

At the last second, the creature moved, the attack barely grazing it. Roaring, it pounced on Sol again, claws ripping through the flesh of her side. Crying out in pain, Sol finally managed to throw it off of her once again.

“Sol Nemesis Nova!”

This time the attack found its mark. With a final roar, the creature glowed and then disappeared. All that was left was a pile of ashes.

As she walked toward the victim, Sol gently ran a hand over her injured shoulder and side. Bright crimson blood covered her gloved hand, glistening in the faint light. With a sigh, she knelt beside the person.

She turned him over and gasped at the face. However, her surprise quickly turned into annoyance, as she began wondering what stupidity led Ian to be a victim of a creature’s attack. ‘No telling,’ she thought, finding his pulse steady and strong.

The main problem with Ian was the rather large bump on his head. He began moaning, signaling his labored return to consciousness. He would be fine, she noted, although she didn’t know if she was content or still annoyed.

Wincing, Sol rose slowly to her feet. She made the Sun Staff disappear with a wave of her hand as she headed toward the fire escape. With a jump, she grabbed the ladder and pulled it down.

Sirens wailed in the distance. Help would arrive for Ian soon so she wouldn’t have to linger. Satisfied, she began to climb up the ladder.

“Wait!”

Sol froze before she found the source of the voice. Ian was leaning weakly against a wall, watching her. “Who are you?”

Shaking her head, Sol finished climbing to the first landing of the fire escape. She jumped to the roof and disappeared from his sight. Grabbing her gym bag and assuming her normal form, Celeste just hoped that the bump or the shadows kept Ian from figuring out who it was that saved him.

* * * * *

Rising from her hiding place, the woman brushed back her wind-tossed hair. She had watched the battle in fascination. “So this is our enemy,” she murmured. She didn’t think that Aeolus would be happy.


	14. Clashes of Wills

Giving up on reading to relax him, Jonathan slammed his book close and got up from his desk. Although he was tired, a nagging feeling kept plaguing him, preventing him from relaxing. Something was off, wrong, but he couldn’t figure out it was.

With a sigh, he ran his hands through his hair. The feeling reminded him of the sensation he had experienced before he had found Celeste bleeding on his balcony. That revelation startled him and he hastily grabbed the phone.

Dialing Celeste’s number, he prayed that she would pick up. He didn’t know what he would say if she did, not quite willing to admit that a vague sense of uneasiness had spooked him. However, if he knew that she was home and safe, the phone call and possible embarrassment would have been worth it.

“Come on, Celeste, pick up,” he murmured, listening to the phone as it continued to ring.

Finally the line opened. “Hi, it’s me. I’m not able to get the phone, so leave a message. Bye.”

Jonathan growled in frustration at reaching the answering machine. “Celeste, this is Jonathan. When you get this, call me no matter what time it is. I meant it. Bye.”

With a sense of defeat, he hung the phone up. She wasn’t home. She could be out there hurt from fighting, and he wouldn’t know it until it was too late.

Through the window, the moon shone, partially obscured by the thickening clouds. “Please, wherever you are, Celeste, be safe,” he prayed.

He glanced out the window, studying the moon as it bathed the city in its ethereal light. Was she out there somewhere fighting or injured? At that moment, could she be dying?

He noticed Celeste’s Christmas gift to him. However, image grew fuzzy before becoming completely out of focus. Suddenly, another scene took its place.

* * * * *

Holding her ribs tightly with one arm, Sailor Sol stumbled awkwardly backwards. The ploy put some distance between her and her opponent, but it didn’t buy her much time. She had barely caught her breath before she was attacked again.

“Is that all you’ve got?” her opponent growled. “I expected more from the Celestial Phoenix.”

His confidence brought him too close to his watchful opponent. With surprising quickness, she swung her arm back, striking him across his face. As he was still dazed, she pivoted, using her leg to knock his feet out from under him.

She stood over him as he fought to breathe, desperate to have the air return to his lungs. “Never be overconfident in your own abilities, Your Highness. It will lead to your downfall.”

With a final glance, she turned and walked away. As he laid on the cold, moist ground, the prince reflected on what had just occurred. Her words had been calm but sad, without the heat or the venom he had expected. What was even more surprising was that there had been tears in those emerald eyes.

Closing his own eyes, Charon sighed. “By the gods, I’m a fool.”

* * * * *

Jonathan blinked several times, wondering what had just happened. Feeling weak, he sat down in the nearest chair and leaned his head back. After several deep, slow breaths, he began to relax.

Why did his first memories of his life as Charon had to be of him fighting Celeste? He had assumed that he and Celeste had been in love during the Silver Millennium. Celeste had told him that he had been Setsuna’s brother and that he had been engaged to Shinsei Tennyo. However, the attack on the Moon Kingdom had occurred before they were to marry.

Shaking his head, Jonathan realized that he never asked Celeste for any real details about the past. He never given much thought about what their relationship had been before their engagement. Closing his eyes, he again he had so many questions he was afraid to have answered.

A knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts. In an instant, he was on his feet and crossing the room. His face lighted up with a relieved smiled as he opened the door. “Celeste.”

“Hi, Jonathan,” she greeted with a smile matching his. “I hope that I didn’t come at a bad time.”

“No, please, come in.”

He stepped back, letting her enter. As she walked, he noticed how stiffly she carried herself. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly noticed the tangy copper scent in the air.

He watched her as she gingerly set her gym bag down on the carpet, her movements still slow and guarded. A dull red smudge on her hand confirmed his suspicions. “You’re hurt.”

She froze for a moment. “It’s nothing really.”

He sighed. “Take off your coat and go into the kitchen. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“I didn’t come here for you to patch me up,” Celeste protested. “I came to see you.”

“I’m not going to sit and let you bleed to death while we have a chat.”

Celeste finally looked at him, her eyes narrowed. “Look, I don’t know what your problem is, but I’ll make this easy for the both of us.”

In a whirl of motion, she grabbed her bag and headed to the door. Although she was moving fine, Jonathan could see the tightness in her face due to the pain. Moving quickly, he grabbed her wrist and placed himself between her and the door.

“Never be overconfident in your own abilities. It will lead to your downfall.”

All the angry color drained from Celeste’s face as she blanched at the words. She stared at Jonathan, all intents of storming out of his apartment gone. Several questions flickered in her eyes. “What did you say?”

“Never be overconfident in your own abilities. It will lead to your downfall,” he repeated carefully.

“Why did you say that to me?”

“Why is it upsetting you?”

Growling in frustration, she raised her hands to shove him out of the way. He grabbed her wrists and held her hands up for inspection. As he had feared, one of her hands was still wet with blood. Also, the skin he held felt too warm.

“Let’s make a deal,” he offered, still hold her arms.

A tentative tug of her arms told her he wasn’t letting her go easily. “What kind of deal?”

“Go into the kitchen and let me take care of your wounds. After that, I will explain why I said that to you. Do we have a deal?”

“Yes,” she replied tersely.

Without further ado, he released her arms. As she headed into the kitchen, she dropped her gym bag back on the floor again, along with her jacket. With a sigh, Jonathan headed to retrieve his first aid supplies. At the rate Celeste was going, he was going to replenish his kit soon.

As he re-entered the kitchen, Celeste was already seated on a stool. She had taken off her sweater, leaving her dress in a bloodstained white t-shirt and jeans. Fighting the urge to yell at her, he placed the supplies on the counter and began to inspect her injuries.

Celeste flinched as he gingerly pulled her makeshift bandages from the wounds. Although dried cakes of blood covered most of the wounds, fresh crimson still seeped from them. With a sigh, he grabbed the bottle of peroxide, knowing that it would be the least painful away to clean away the dried blood and clean the wound.

“You’re going to need to take off your shirt,” he stated quietly, handing her a towel.

Nodding, she took it. She was mildly amused as he turned his back, remembering that the last time he had treated her injuries, he had seen her without a shirt on. However, she was conscious this time and she appreciated the gesture.

Within a few moments, she had the shirt off and the towel covering her chest. The arrangement still protected her modesty yet allowed Jonathan to attend the wounds. “You can look now.”

He took his seat again on the stool beside her. Taking another towel, he wrapped in around her waist, just below the tears in her side. Satisfied with the setup, he opened the bottle.

“This may hurt some, but this best way I know to do this,” he explained. “Ready?”

She nodded. True to his word, it stung as he poured generous amounts on her wounds. However, the sensation soon passed.

“Where did you learn first aid?” she asked.

“My father taught me,” Jonathan replied. “He's a doctor and thought it is important for everyone to know how to care for simple injuries.”

“Did you ever want to go into medicine?”

He shook his head. “No, it never appealed to me. I guess that’s one of the reasons we fought before I left for college. He wanted his son to follow in his footsteps and take over his practice. Dad never understood my decision to pursue history.”

“What about your mother, Jonathan?”

“She tried to help Dad see how unhappy I would be if I was forced into a career that I would hate and tried to get me to stop fighting with Dad about everything. It didn't help.”

“But you still talk to her don’t you?”

He nodded. “Every couple of weeks I'll call her or Bethany, my sister, just to keep in touch. They want to come see me for New Year’s, but I don’t know if I want them to or not.”

“Why?”

“They want to bring Dad with them.”

Celeste reached for one of his hands, making him look at her face instead of her shoulder.

“Jonathan, they're your family,” she stated quietly. “They will always be your family, and you are lucky to have. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss my parents or Aunt Grace. Don’t you think that it’s time for you and your father to make peace?”

He turned his attention back to her shoulder. “I don’t know what I would say to him if I saw him.”

“How about ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘I love you’ for starters,” she replied.

“And if he doesn’t accept that?”

She shrugged. “Then at least you’ll know that at least you tried to make amends.”

“I’ll think about it,” he said. “Right now, I’m going to finish this bandaging and get you some clean clothes to change into.”

“If I keep this up, half your closet will be at my apartment,” she joked.

He smiled. “That wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. Anyway, I hope that Sofia walked away from this battle in better shape than you did.”

Celeste froze. “She didn’t fight.”

“You didn’t contact her? You still faced that alone?”

“She’s never fought before, Jonathan. I was afraid that she would get hurt.”

“And you didn’t think that you would?”

“If she had some training, I wouldn’t be so reluctant to include her. But since she doesn’t, I am not going to risk her getting hurt in a battle.”

“So, why don’t you train her?”

She stared at him. “What?”

“Train her,” he repeated. “Then, when you think that she’s ready, you can allow her to help you in the battles. From what little you tell me, it seems like that creatures are getting stronger and smarter. You are going to need the help, Celeste.”

“I don’t know,” she said hesitantly.

He sighed. “At least give her a chance, Celeste.”

“I’ll think about,” she replied. “Now, weren’t you going to tell me why you said those words to me earlier?”

He nodded, giving the bandages one final inspection. “Yes, but it can wait until after you get dressed. Come on, and I’ll get you some clean clothes.”

“Thank you,” she said simply.

“You’re welcome.” Taking her hand, he led her across the apartment to his room.


	15. Feelings and Memories

Celeste sat down on the couch, pulling her legs underneath her. With a smile, she accepted the mug of coffee from Jonathan. Keeping his own mug, he sat down beside her.

“So, where do we start?” he asked, watching her as she drank.

Celeste held the mug tightly with both hands, greedily accepting its warmth. Her slight fever had given her chills, but she refused to take anything for it. The fever would help fight off any possible infection she could still have.

“How about from the beginning?” she quipped.

He smiled. “That would be your department, wouldn’t it?”

She didn’t respond to the question. She merely lifted an eyebrow and took another drink of coffee. When she was finished, she sat the mug on the coffee table and turned to him.

“Why did you say that to me earlier?” Celeste asked quietly. “I think I've held up my end of our bargain.”

“You did,” he conceded. “You remember the night you left for Tokyo?”

She nodded. “What about it?”

“As I watched your plane leave, I got an intense feeling that you would be in a lot of danger,” Jonathan replied. “I have had the same feeling a few times since then, always around the time you have been fighting or attacked.”

“So, you can sense the attacks, too?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think it’s the attacks, but when you are in trouble.”

“Really? Are you sure?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I’m fairly sure. Like tonight, just before you arrived, I knew that something was wrong. I couldn’t relax.”

“Okay,” she murmured, letting the information sink in. Finally she looked back at him. “But that doesn’t explain why you said that to me earlier.”

“I actually had a memory tonight, Celeste,” Jonathan explained. “I had a memory from the Silver Millennium. The night we danced I had a feeling that we had done that together before, but tonight was the first real memory.”

“What do you remember?”

“You and I were fighting or sparring and you were hurt in the ribs.”

“You mean Charon and Tennyo were sparring,” Celeste corrected.

Jonathan paused but decided to let the matter drop. It wasn’t an argument he wanted to get into with her at the moment. He now wondered whether the stormy past of Charon and Tennyo was one of the reasons she tried to keep their present lives separate as much as possible.

With a sigh, he continued. “Charon taunted her and she retaliated quickly when he got too close. As he fought for breath on the ground, she said, ‘Never be overconfident in your own abilities. It will lead to your downfall.’ Then she walked off.”

“Was that it?”

He nodded. “What was going on? Why were we, I mean, they fighting?”

“It’s somewhat of a long story,” Celeste stated, leaning further into the couch. “When Charon met Tennyo because of her friendship with his sister, he remarked aloud that he had expected a much more interesting and beautiful person to be the Celestial Phoenix. Tennyo was offended and the two had a raging feud for years despite Setsuna’s interventions.”

“So, when did things change between them?”

“There was a fire not far from the palace,” Celeste began. “When they arrived with some of the other rescuers, several homes were already burning. One mother was screaming that her son was still trapped inside. Tennyo went in after the toddler, even though Charon was screaming for her not to.

“She was able to find the child in a nearby room, luckily away from the flames. However, something in the house suddenly exploded, and Tennyo was burned while she shielding the child with her body. Although she was hurt, she managed to get the child and herself out of the house. A few minutes after they emerged, the roof of the house began to collapse.

“The child was fine except for a little smoke inhalation, but Tennyo was badly burned. Charon carried her to the healers himself and wouldn’t leave her until they assured him that she would be okay. That night made them realize how much the other meant to them. However, it was still fairly rocky. Even though Tennyo had admitted her feelings to Charon, he refused to do so. It was until after that sparring match that he realized how stupid was being.”

“Why didn’t you tell me all this earlier?” Jonathan asked after a lengthy pause.

Celeste grinned. “You never asked. But, honestly, I didn’t think it was important to rehash the histories of people we no longer are.”

He reached up and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Charon was a fool. I don’t see how anyone could be more beautiful than you are.”

“I’m not Tennyo, Jonathan,” she whispered. “Not anymore.”

“And I’m not Charon,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean that we can’t have something together, that we can’t be happy, does it?”

“No,” she breathed, before he pulled her to him.

The kiss was different than any kiss they had shared. Jonathan held her tightly to him, as if he was afraid that she would disappear. However, the intensity of the kiss soon drove any thought from her mind.

With a sigh, she leaned back, pulling Jonathan down with her. He broke their kiss and studied at her face briefly. Before she could ask what was wrong, he kissed her again, once more driving all coherent thought from her mind.

She was so caught up in the kiss, she didn’t feel Jonathan’s hands caressing her ribs. Yet, one time his hand moved too low and grazed the bandages on her side. Jerking away from him, she hissed in pain.

“Oh, Celeste, I’m sorry,” he said, sitting up and pulling her up with him. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “I’m fine.”

Celeste moved to resume their kiss, but Jonathan held her shoulders tightly, keeping her a small distance away from him. He sighed. “Celeste, I don’t think that this is a good idea right now.”

She studied him for a moment before nodding and retreating to the far end of the couch. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I wasn’t thinking.”

He reached out to her with his hand, using her chin to make her face. “Don’t apologize, Celeste. I was the one who started it, and I was enjoying it just fine. Weren’t you?”

His smile broadened as her face went scarlet. Finally, she returned his smile. “I won’t lie. I did, too. But why did you say . . .”

“It’s late, you’re hurt, and us being alone on my couch isn’t too helpful for my self-control,” he replied candidly.

Again, she nodded. “Thanks for everything, Jonathan,” she stated, rising from the couch.

“Where do you think you are going?” Jonathan demanded, rising from the couch as well. “You can’t walk home now. Do you know how late it is?”

She turned back to face him, one eyebrow raised. “If you want me to stay, Jonathan, you need to ask. I don’t respond well to orders.”

“Celeste, please, for my peace of mind, will you stay here tonight and allow me to take you home in the morning?” He added an elaborate bow to the request.

Her lips twitched with a smile, which she fought valiantly. “Except for the outright sarcasm, that was nice. I call the couch.”

“No, you don’t,” he said, taking her arm and steering her to his bedroom. “I had a feeling that this situation may present itself, so there’s a spare bed in my study room now. I’ll sleep in there.”

“More of your feelings?”

He shrugged. “Who knows? Anyway, good night, Celeste.”

After giving her a quick, chaste kiss on her cheek, he shoved her through the bedroom door. After he closed the door behind him, she laughed softly. Shaking her head, she began to get ready for sleep.


	16. Meet the Family

“What do you think?” Celeste asked hurriedly.

Selene shook her head. “I don’t like it. It’s too dressed up. I think you need something more casual.”

With a sigh, Celeste glanced down at her skirt. “You’re right. God, I’m running out of time. Jonathan is going to be here soon.”

The cat shook its head again as Celeste slammed bedroom door behind her. They had been performing variations of this scene for about an hour. Selene stretched out and waited. In a few minutes, Celeste emerged once more, dressed in another outfit.

“What about this?” she asked, turning to give Selene a full view.

However, she paused in her turning at the knock on the door. “Please tell me that’s not him.”

“I don’t know,” Selene replied with a yawn. “You’ll have to open the door to find out.”

Celeste gave the cat a glare as she walked to the door. With a sigh, she opened the door. However, she smiled as she saw Jonathan.

“You’re early,” she said, letting him into the apartment.

Without warning, he pulled her to him. “You’re beautiful,” he stated before kissing her.

Selene rolled her eyes and jumped off the couch. She walked into the other room, letting them have a moment alone. She had been doing that a lot lately.

With her eyes still closed, Celeste stepped back. “Jonathan, aren’t we going to be late?”

“Nah, we’ve got plenty of time,” he replied, pulling her close again.

She opened her eyes. “I’m not completely ready yet, Jonathan.”

“You look fine to me.”

She playfully shoved him away. “Give me five minutes, okay?”

Without waiting for his reply, Celeste once more disappeared into her bedroom.

* * * * *

“Well, that’s their plane,” Jonathan said, as they looked out the large window. “You’re still not nervous, are you?”

“I can still leave, you know.”

“But what would I tell my family?”

She shrugged. “That would be your problem, not mine. They’d probably think you had an imaginary girlfriend.”

“Thanks for coming, Celeste,” he said, his tone serious.

She nodded. “Thanks for asking, I think.”

“Jonathan!”

The two turned at the sound of the high-pitched squeal. In a blur of color, someone tackled Jonathan. He laughed as they bumped back into the wall.

“Bethany, I’m glad to see you, too.” He gave his sister a brief but tight hug. “However, I think that there’s someone you wanted to meet.”

The young girl quickly detached herself from her brother. “You mean she’s here!”

She whirled around until she saw Celeste. Running a hand through her curly, brown hair, she suddenly seemed much more calm. Her friendly smile went all the way to her hazel eyes as she extended her hand to Celeste.

“Hi, I’m Bethany Mackenzie.”

Celeste shook her hand. “I’m Celeste Halley.”

“There are some other people I want you to meet,” Jonathan said. “This is my parents and my younger brother, David.”

Celeste shook all their hands, suddenly feeling like she was on display. She stayed close to Jonathan as they headed to the baggage claim, absently listening to the family chatter. It had been a while since she had been around a family, and it briefly renewed a familiar ache in her heart.

“Hey, Celeste, how did you meet my brother?”

She jerked her head up, pulling herself out of her depressing thoughts. “Huh?”

David grinned at her. “I was asking how you met Jonathan.”

She glanced at all the expectant faces before leveling a glare at Jonathan. “He didn’t tell you?”

“Oh, he did,” his mother stated quickly, “but we all wanted to hear it from you.”

“We met at a local gym when I asked him to be my sparring partner.”

David threw an arm around Jonathan’s shoulder. “And just how did that little bout turn out?”

Jonathan laughed. “She kicked my ass, man, and still does, all these months later.”

“Well, at least you’re man enough to admit it, son,” his father commented, laughing as well.

“Celeste would have given a demonstration if I hadn’t,” Jonathan replied.

His joke was rewarded with a resounding smack on the shoulder. David and Bethany laughed as their older brother rubbed his shoulder. Mrs. Mackenzie gave Celeste a thumbs-up.

“Whose side are you guys on?” Jonathan cried.

Celeste suddenly froze, a shiver running down her spine. She closed her eyes briefly, cursing her luck. Of course, there would have to be an attack now.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Jonathan staring at her. With a quick nod, he indicated that he knew what was going on. Shrugging off David’s arm, Jonathan pulled Celeste to him.

“Be careful,” he whispered into her ear. “Find me afterwards. Promise me.”

She nodded as he reverently kissed her cheek. She gave him a brief hug and a hurried goodbye to his family. Before they could demand an explanation, she turned and left.

“Where on earth is she going?” his father asked, turning to Jonathan with a confused expression.

“She was missing something in order to meet you,” Jonathan replied, hating that he was lying to his family so quickly after their reunion. “I told her that you would understand if she went on now.”

“Of course, we do,” his mother said.

As they retrieved the baggage, Jonathan herded them to his car. “So, how about a brief tour of the city?”


	17. An Interesting Enigma

Sol kept to the rooftops and the alleys as she moved through the city. Night had already descended upon the city, the shadows concealing her from the innocent people ignorant of the battles that raged around them. It was those innocent people she had to protect, even if she continued to face the battles alone.

She kept moving. Her premonitions sometimes warned her in time to prevent an attack. At other times, she would arrive during the attack and would have to deal with the dual task of rescuing the victim and defeating the monster. Deep down, Sol hoped that it wasn’t one of those latter times.

* * * * *

It would be days before she could even chance going back to the house, Mara realized, zipping her thin cotton jacket higher. Yet, she didn’t have any money and nowhere to go. She had to keep moving, constantly watching for signs of trouble.

Feeling a slight breeze, Mara immediately glanced over her shoulder. Seeing nothing, she faced forward again. Immediately, she noticed the tall lady with long, curly gray hair standing right in front of her. Frightened, Mara recoiled but tripped as she tried to back away.

Smiling, the lady grabbed her shoulders, steadying her. “Don’t be afraid.”

“Who . . . who are you?” Mara stammered, brushing the woman’s hands off of her. “What do you want?”

The lady’s smile broadened, her dark blue eyes glowing eerily in the faint light. “I have great plans for you, precious Hecate. Great, wonderful plans.”

“I think you’ve got the wrong girl,” Mara stated, taking a few steps back.

“Perhaps,” the lady said, walking toward her again, “but I really don’t think so.”

“I think you’ve had just a little too much holiday cheer. You’d better head home and sleep it off, lady.”

As she turned to walk away, Mara felt a hand grab her shoulder and spin her around. Any hint of a smile was gone in the strange lady’s face. Those blue eyes really seemed to glow now, making Mara realized that she wasn’t dealing with a regular drunk.

“You don’t seem to understand,” the lady growled, her hand tightening its grip. “You’re coming with me.”

“No way in hell,” Mara shouted, pushing her away. Without looking back, she began to run as fast as she could. Although her injured leg protested painfully, she ignored it and tried to run even faster.

The lady immediately picked herself up off the ground. She held her hands out in front of her as her eyes glowed even brighter. As she chanted softly under her breath, the wind began to pick up.

The woman smiled as the familiar power coursed through her body. With a sweep of her arms, a wind tunnel formed. With unbelievable quickness, it followed Mara and threw her into a building.

As quickly as it appeared, the wind vanished. The woman dropped her hands and her eyes stopped glowing. With a satisfied smile, she walked over to Mara’s crumpled form. “Don’t worry, Hecate. You will know hell soon enough.”

In a whirl of motion, Mara swung her uninjured leg, knocking the lady’s feet from under her. Raising the same leg, she dealt a blow to the woman’s stomach and then to her jaw. Not waiting to see the result of her trick, Mara got to her feet.

However, she had taken only a few steps before the woman grabbed her ankle. With a shout of surprised, Mara crashed to the asphalt, landing on top of her injured leg. Wincing, she rolled unto her back. She swallowed hard as she noticed the strange lady was now standing over her.

With a growl, the woman bent down and grabbed a fistful of Mara’s jacket. The thin cotton fabric stretched as the woman used it to jerk the girl to her feet and then off the pavement. Mara’s widened further, noting the woman had picked her up as if she weighed no more than a rag doll.

“Enough games, girl,” the woman growled. “Aeolus is waiting.”

“Just leave me alone.”

“It’s a little late for that now. I’ve wasted enough time with you.”

Mara grabbed the woman’s wrist with both hands, trying desperately to break free from her grasp. With another growl, the woman gave her a savage jerk. When Mara continued to struggle, the woman slapped her, making the girl see stars.

However, the woman paused as the black circle appeared on Mara’s forehead. The girl faced the stranger, her eyes now completely black. In an instant, the circle flared with black light and the blast sent the woman flying.

* * * * *

“It’s a little late for that now. I’ve wasted enough time with you.”

Sol paused and turned around, hoping she had finally found the site of the attack. ‘Don’t let me be too late,’ she prayed, as she hurried to the edge of the roof. Below her, in the deserted street, a gray-haired woman held a dark-haired girl by the material of her jacket.

The girl was clearly frightened as she fought to free herself. Sol’s grip on the Sun Staff tightened as she watched the woman shake and then slap the girl. Gritting her teeth, Sol jumped and landed silently on the asphalt below.

However, she stopped when she saw the black circle appear on the girl’s forehead. A different image had appeared on Sofia’s forehead when she was attacked. ‘Could this girl be a Senshi?’ Sol wondered.

The strange woman suddenly went flying in a blast of black light. The girl moaned and fell to her knees before falling back, practically sitting in the street. Keeping an eye on the woman, Sol ran to the girl.

“Are you okay?” Sol demanded, kneeling beside the girl. Her eyes quickly scanned the girl’s body, noting the scraps and the blood-soaked left leg. Sol knew that she had to get the girl out of here quickly.

“She’s mine!”

Sol jumped to her feet and whirled to face the strange woman. “I don’t think so. Sol Corona Flare! Sol Nemesis Nova!”

The woman easily dodged the first attack but didn’t see the second one until it was too late. As the light faded, the woman was kneeling on the pavement, clutching her abdomen. Her eyes glowed, prompting Sol to stand protectively in front of the girl.

“You don’t know what she is,” the woman stated. “She belongs with us. You'll see.”

Sol raised her staff to send another attack but the woman vanished in a gust of wind, leaving Sol alone with the girl in the deserted street.

With a sigh, Sol lowered her staff. She didn’t know anything more about her enemy and now she had this girl who could be a Senshi. She turned and looked down at the girl, who was staring at her with wide eyes.

“Are you okay?” Sol asked gently, kneeling beside her once more.

The girl shrank away from her, scooting back on her hands. “You’re one of them.”

“No, I’m different,” Sol said gently. Keeping eye contact with the girl, she touched the center of her bow and transformed back into Celeste Halley.

The girl froze, watching the change. After the light faded, she managed to murmur, “You’re human?”

“Yes, my name is Celeste Halley,” the red-headed woman explained softly. “I fight as Sailor Sol to protect people, and I’ve been doing it for a long time.”

The girl nodded, but her wide eyes continued to convey her fear. Celeste slowly and gently touched her shoulder. Although the girl flinched, she didn’t jerk away.

“Who was that woman? Why did she want me?” the girl asked.

Celeste shook her head. “I don’t know. But I will protect you. I promise.”

The girl merely stared at Celeste for several long moments. "Why? Why bother to protect me?"

"It's what I do."

The girl took a deep breath and relaxed slightly. However, her dark brown eyes remained guarded. “My name is Mara Adams. We should go somewhere and talk. I want to know what’s going on.”

Celeste nodded. She needed to learn more about this girl. Although a figure of light had appeared on Mara’s forehead, the girl had not transformed into a Sailor form like Sofia had. The girl definitely posed an interesting puzzle.

“Nice to meet you, Mara,” Celeste said. “My apartment is not far from here, if you would like to go there to talk.”

“All right,” Mara replied.

Wincing, the girl rose to her feet. Ignoring the pain in her leg, she began to follow Celeste. Mara just hoped that she had made the right decision.


	18. Late Night Reflections

With a faint nod to Selene, Celeste pulled the door behind her, leaving it slightly ajar in case the cat decided to leave. The events of the night had left Mara exhausted, and the girl had fallen asleep shortly after Celeste had cleaned and bandaged her wounds. ‘Looks like I’ve got the couch,’ Celeste thought, giving that piece of furniture a disinterested look as she headed toward the kitchen.

Ever since the night she had found Sofia, Celeste had had difficulty sleeping. Worries, half-formed plans, and fragments of memories filled her brain and robbed her of sleep. With a resigned sigh, she set the kettle on to heat the water for some tea.

Classes would resume in a few days, Celeste realized, leaning against the edge of the counter. With Jonathan once more submerged in the world of reading, lectures, and tests, she faced several hours with little or nothing to do. She couldn’t spend all that time at the hospital with her volunteer work, her phobia of the place not withstanding.

“There’s always training,” she murmured.

With a bitter smile, Celeste admitted to herself that she did need it. Working out at the gym would allow her to focus on her strength and her endurance, areas that had shown weaknesses in the last several battles. There was also Nadia and Ricco’s invitation to do some training at their gym to revive her gymnastic skills. The companionship the older pair would provide made the offer even more tempting.

The whistle of the kettle pulled Celeste from her thoughts. She quickly found a tea bag and a cup. Gratefully inhaling the aroma, she picked up the cup and took a seat at the small dining table.

However, there was the now dual problem of Sofia and Mara to deal with. Although Sofia was Sailor Althene, she would need some fighting skills before Celeste would risk her in any battle. As to Mara, she wasn’t too sure if the girl was a Sailor Soldier at all.

‘You don’t know what she really is,’ the woman had said. ‘She belongs with us.’

Clearly Mara had some power. Yet, it had taken the form of black light, which disturbed Celeste. Taking a sip of her tea, she leaned back in the chair. ‘It means nothing,’ she told herself. ‘Stop jumping to conclusions. She’s just an innocent girl.’

‘Just an innocent girl.’ The phrase repeated itself again and again in Celeste’s mind. However, another girl’s image took Mara’s place in her mind.

Hotaru Tomoe had been just an innocent girl, too. It was her father and others who had decided to use her in a ploy to bring about the Silence. Numerous lives had been sacrificed in Sailor Moon’s attempt in saving Hotaru.

‘Fortunately, Usagi was successful,’ Celeste thought, ‘but what if she not had been? They had had no way of knowing that everything would turn out right. For a while there, it had seemed that it definitely would not turn out that way.’

Like many times since her encounter with Sofia, Celeste wanted to contact Setsuna. However she held back, wondering if the Timeline would even allow Setsuna to make any disclosures.

But really she just missed Setsuna. With her, Celeste could talk about everything: her past lives, her challenges as Sol, and the murky prospect of the future. She couldn’t discuss all that with Jonathan in fear of burdening him with too much. With the Guardian of Time, there was no need for such reservations.

With a sigh, she stared down at her cup, gazing into the amber liquid. She had to contact Setsuna and ask her about Mara. At worst, Setsuna wouldn’t be able to tell her anything, but Celeste hoped that she would get some answers.

The ringing of the phone jarred her from her thoughts. She grabbed it during the second ring, hoping that Mara was still asleep. “Hello?”

“Did I wake you up?” Jonathan asked.

“No, I was still up,” she replied, noting the late hour. “Is something wrong?”

“Well, you never called,” he stated, “and I was beginning to get worried. I just needed to know that you were alright.”

“Oh, Jonathan, I’m so sorry,” Celeste said. “With everything that happened, I completely forgot.”

“What happened?”

Celeste quickly gave him a description of the encounter. Since she hadn’t had to attack, Celeste didn’t think it counted as a battle. She concluded with her decision to contact Setsuna.

“I think you’re right,” Jonathan agreed. “It definitely wouldn’t hurt to try. Do you want me to come over and check on Mara?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary, Jonathan,” she replied, grinning. “She primarily just had some cuts and scrapes. Besides, she’s sound asleep at the moment. How are things with your family?”

“Pretty good, actually,” he said, letting her hear his surprise. “I gave them a brief tour of the area and then we sat in my apartment and talked for a while.”

“Did you and your father talk?”

There was a pause before he replied, “Yeah, we did. While we still don’t see eye to eye on everything, we both admitted that we had been wrong. I’ve promised to talk to him and the rest of my family more.”

“I’m happy for you, Jonathan.”

“I hate that they can only stay for a few days now. And they want to meet you again. How do you feel about dinner tomorrow night?”

“Aren’t we moving kind of fast?” she asked melodramatically. “I’ve already met your family, and you’re not supposed to do that until after you’ve together for several months. Next thing I’ll know, we’ll be moving in together.”

“Is that an offer?”

She laughed. “No, that’s not an offer. But, about dinner, yes, I’ll go.”

“Great,” he replied, “I’ll tell them. When I find out the details, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay,” she said, yawning. “If I’m not home, just leave a message.”

“And just where will you be?”

“Do you honestly expect me to sit at home and simply wait for you to call?”

Jonathan chuckled. “Easy, Celeste. I was just curious. That’s all.”

“I have some errands to run tomorrow,” she replied. “They shouldn’t take too long.”

“I’d better let you get some sleep,” he stated. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night, Celeste.”

“Good night, Jonathan.”

She hung up the phone and put her cup in the sink. With a yawn, she turned off the light and stretched out on the couch. As she drifted off to sleep, she murmured the words she couldn’t tell him yet.

“I love you.”


	19. Exchanges of Words

“Hey, Mac, wait up.”

Jonathan froze, cursing his luck. He had learned from some of his acquaintances that Ian had enrolled at the junior college. So far Jonathan had been able to avoid the guy. His luck had apparently run out.

With a huge smile, Ian jogged across the lobby of the student center toward him. “Why do I have the feeling that you’ve been hiding from me, old buddy?”

Jonathan shrugged Ian’s arm off his shoulder. “I'm not your buddy.”

“Wait a minute there, Mac,” Ian drawled. “Why the cold shoulder?”

“You know why, Ian,” Jonathan replied in almost a growl. “Now, let’s end this little meeting.”

Ian’s smile changed slightly, but Jonathan couldn’t really determine how. Several students bustled by them, eying the two men before moving on. However, none of them were people that Jonathan knew.

“How’s your little girlfriend?”

Jonathan’s jaw tightened. Without a reply, he turned toward the doors of the building. As he tried to leave, Ian grabbed his sleeve. “I know about your girlfriend. I know that she’s behind the attacks.”

“What?”

“Your girlfriend isn’t all she appears to be, is she? She should have done herself a favor and finished me off.”

“Ian, you aren’t making any sense.”

“Play innocent if you want,” Ian replied, “but I know what I saw. And if I thought that the police would believe me, I’d have her behind bars right now.”

Jonathan jerked free from Ian’s grip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Then, if I was you, I’d be finding out,” Ian stated. With another glance, he turned and walked away, leaving Jonathan to his thoughts.

* * * * *

“Jonathan, what’s wrong?” Celeste asked, letting him into her apartment.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me, Celeste,” Jonathan spat as she closed the door behind him. “I had to find out from Ian of all people!”

“What are you talking about?” Celeste demanded.

“Ian bumped into at school when I went to buy my books. He knows about you being Sailor Sol, but he thinks you are behind the attacks instead of stopping them.”

“He can’t think I’m behind the attacks.”

“How the hell does he know?”

“I had rescued Ian from an attack,” Celeste explained. “I had hoped that the shadows and the blow to the head would prevent him from recognizing me. I guess I was wrong.”

“And you weren’t planning on telling me anything about that. So much for honesty in our relationship.”

Celeste jumped to her feet. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think that it was important and I knew that you would be mad if you knew I had rescued him. And as to honesty in our relationship, if you hate the guy so much, you could at least tell me why!”

Jonathan stepped toward her, a few inches merely separating them. “Why I hate Ian is none of your business!”

“So what is my business, Jonathan? Please, as your girlfriend, I would definitely like to know.”

“Like you’re a one to talk!” he bellowed. “I stay awake half the night worried that you are out there somewhere risking your life and that I won’t find out until it’s too late. But, hey, I get to patch you up now and then, so what right do I have to complain?”

“Well, I’ll be sure you aren’t inconvenienced anymore.”

She moved to brush past him but he grabbed her arm, stopping her. “What are we doing?” he asked quietly.

“I think we’re having a hell of a fight,” she replied after a pause, still refusing to face him.

“I don’t doubt that." He released her arm. "I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too. I should have told you about rescuing Ian earlier.”

“Forgiven. And me?”

She smiled. “Forgiven, too.”

“Good, I hate for us to stay mad at each other too long.”

“I thought we’d be pros at this by now.”

“You would think,” he said. “I should have told you about Ian, but it’s something I don’t want to go into right now.”

Celeste slowly nodded. “All right, but you need to tell me sometime.”

“I know, and I will. I promise.”

“Okay.”

He put an arm around her shoulder, hugging her to him. “So, do you have anything to eat around here?”

“You're all stomach,” she laughed. “Between you and Mara, my kitchen is going to be empty.”

“Well, my closet is getting close to the same shape.”

She elbowed him in the ribs playfully. “I think I may have some food left. Let’s go look.”


	20. A Helping Hand

Six months later . . .

“Get off of me!” Sol shouted, struggling to get free.

The creature she was fighting was the weirdest yet by far. While it still looked somewhat human, like all the other creatures had, this one resembled some kind of squid or octopus. At that moment, Sol was encased by two of its tentacles, which were tightening their grip on her.

The creature grimaced, its version of a twisted smile, as it raised Sol higher in the air. As the tentacles tightened once more, Sol moaned in spite of herself. If this kept up, her ribs were going to break and she would slowly strangle.

“Sudden Revelation!”

Roaring in pain, the creature dropped Sol and turned to face its attacker. Sol scrambled to her feet and tried to ignore the pain in her chest as she breathed. If she was lucky, her ribs would be mainly bruised, but she couldn’t think about that now. She quickly realized that her rescuer was Sailor Athene, complicating the situation further.

“Sol Celestial Wind!”

The attack surrounded the creature, inflicting additional but minor damage. The creature roared once more, but it hesitated. It looked back and forth between Sol and Athene, unsure of which one to attack first. Deciding Athene was the weaker of the two, the creature moved toward her.

With an air of determination, Sailor Athene stood her ground against the monster. She lured the creature further and further away from Sol while nimbly managing to stay out of the range of the tentacles. While Sol did have some grudging respect for the girl’s abilities, the older woman wanted to end the battle now and picked up her Sun Staff.

“Sol Corona Flare!”

The creature turned away from Athene in time to encounter the attack head-on. With another roar, it glowed orange and then exploded into dust. Sol made the Sun Staff disappear and walked over to Athene. However both women were stunned by sudden applause.

“Quite an impressive show,” a strange woman with gray hair complimented, slowly emerging from the shadows of a nearby alley. “I didn’t realize you had a partner, Sol.”

Sol placed herself in front of Athene. “I don’t recall us being properly introduced the last time we met.”

The woman smiled. “Yes, I know. Such bad manners on my part, really. You may call me Boreas. Again, you both did well against my latest little creation, surprisingly well.”

“We aim to please,” Athene muttered, drawing a censorious look from Sol.

“I’m sure you do,” Boreas replied, studying the two intensely for a moment before shaking her head. “Well, as much as I would love to stay and chat, I must be going. It won’t be long until we have what we need. Not long at all.”

Sol placed a restraining hand on Athene before asking, “What is that precisely?”

“That’s for us to know and for you to find out,” Boreas replied and still giggling, disappeared in a blast of icy wind.

“The last you met? How do you know her?” Athene demanded, her dark eyes flashing angrily.

“I encountered her once several months when she attacked Mara,” Sol explained reluctantly. “I haven’t seen Boreas or learned anything else about her since then.”

“Why did she attack Mara?”

‘You don’t know what she is. She belongs with us.’

Shaking her head to clear away the memory, Sol said, “I don’t know. Selene and Setsuna are unable to tell me anything concrete about our enemy or about Mara. They just warned me to protect Mara from them.”

“Well, it looks like they haven’t been able to find her,” Athene replied, her tone a little hopeful.

“Yet,” Sol muttered, not bothering to hide her weariness. Her entire chest hurt and breathing was only aggravating the situation. “I doubt they'll give up the search anytime soon.”

Athene nodded. “We’ll be ready.”

“I don’t remember saying you could fight yet,” Sol stated.

The younger woman glared. “You looked like you needed some help. I’m a Sailor Soldier, too. I should be fighting with you.”

Sol shook her head. “You’re not ready yet.”

“I’ve been training with you for months,” Athene countered. “Besides, I helped you tonight and nothing happened to me. I can do this, Celeste.”

“Nothing happened because we were lucky,” Sol said. “It may not be that way next time.”

With an angry huff, Sailor Athene detransformed. The dark-haired girl crossed her arms as she glared at Sol. “Even after tonight, you still don’t think you need my help?”

Sol sighed. “There is nothing I could do to stop you really, is there?”

Sofia smiled. “No, not really.”

“All right,” Sol said, fighting a sinking feeling. “You can help.”

“Good,” Athene replied, “now tell me everything about this Boreas person.”


	21. The Question of Family

“Hello?” Celeste said breathlessly, beating her answering machine to the call.

“Yes,” an impersonal voice replied, “I need to speak to Celeste Halley. Are you Ms. Halley?”

Clutching the cordless phone tighter, Celeste sat down. “Yes, this is Celeste Halley. Who is this?”

“This is Diane Langley from the Department of Human Services,” the impersonal explained. “We have a minor in our custody named Mara Adams. Do you know her?”

“Yes,” Celeste answered quickly. “Is Mara all right?”

“Yes, but her father’s body was discovered earlier this afternoon. The girl couldn’t give us a name of another relative except yours. Since you have said that you do know this minor, it is my duty to ask you to care for her until we can reach a final determination on this case or we can simply place her in foster care.”

“No, don’t do that! I’ll come. Where should I go to get her?”

“I’m here at the Department of Human Services, Ms. Halley,” the woman said in her perpetual monotone. “I will be handling all the required paperwork.”

“Thank you, Ms. Langley,” Celeste said, already grabbing her purse, “I'll be there shortly.”

* * * * *

“This is quite a responsibility for someone your age, Ms. Halley,” the social worker commented as she led the red-haired woman through the hallways. “Are you sure you are up to this?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Of course,” the other woman said, “if we do find a family member willing to take the girl, she must turned over to their custody. "Are you ready to deal with that as well?”

“I will do whatever is best for Mara and her welfare, Ms. Langley.”

With a curt nod of acceptance, the older woman pushed down on the door handle. “I’m sure you will. Now, please, take the girl home. She needs some rest.”

With a nod of her own, Celeste entered. Mara glanced up from her seat across the room. Her usual bravado was gone. Celeste opened her arms and the girl ran into them, hugging Celeste tightly.

“I’m sorry, Mara,” Celeste whispered, holding the girl just as tightly. “I came as soon as I could.”

Mara nodded, her head still burrowed in the baggy material of Jonathan’s sweatshirt. “I didn’t know who else to call. I didn’t know if you would come, but I’m glad you did.”

“Of course, I came,” Celeste replied. “It looks like you’ll be staying with me for a while.”

“I sleep on the floor if I have to.”

“You won't have to do that,” Celeste said with a small laugh. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

* * * * *

The two were silent on their drive back to Celeste’s apartment. She turned down the radio. There were several immediate decisions that had to be made and some of them needed Mara’s input.

“Mara, there are some things we need to talk about,” she began, glancing at the girl for her reaction.

The dark-haired girl nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Your father’s body will be released by the medical examiner sometime tomorrow or the next day.”

The girl sighed and turned to the window. “I don’t have any money. He never kept up with any life insurance and everything in the trailer was pretty much destroyed by the fire.”

“I’m not asking you for money, Mara,” Celeste said, “and I don’t even want you worrying about that. I’m going to take care of you. I just wanted to know if you wanted the city to take care of him or if you wanted to have him to be buried in a local cemetery.”

Mara was startled and stared at Celeste for several moments. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I care about you,” Celeste replied honestly. “I’ve gotten to know you pretty well over these last few months, and I know what’s it’s like to think you are completely alone in the world. It doesn’t have to be that why for you, Mara. We can be each other’s family if you want.”

“You would really do that?” Mara asked, her eyes betraying her disbelief. “You want us to be family?”

Celeste nodded, reminding herself to keep her eyes on the road. “Yes, but only if you want us to be. I’m not going to force this on you. You can live with me as long as you need to, even you want only that and nothing else.”

Shaking her head, Mara turned back to the window again. The car was filled with expectant silence while Celeste awaited the girl’s answer. She had left herself extremely vulnerable to a girl she had only known for six months. In the year she had known Jonathan, she had yet to tell him the depth of feeling she had for him. She suddenly realized what a coward she had been. Without words, she had already given both Jonathan and Mara the power to hurt her terribly. There was no need to hide from the words any longer.

“Let the city worry about my father,” Mara finally said, pulling Celeste from her thoughts. “I can’t forget all the things he has done to me. But I do want to know what a real family is like, don’t you, Celeste?”

“I think we have a pretty good shot at it, Mara,” Celeste answered, surprised that she had to blink back tears. “So, let’s go home.”


	22. Affairs of the Heart

“So, where’s Mara?” Jonathan asked, filling a bag with ice.

“She’s spending the night with Sofia,” Celeste replied, grimacing as she slowly took off her coat. “They're getting along pretty well, I think.”

Dark brown eyes followed her as she slowly made her way across the living room. They had been planning this date for a week but an attack had altered their plans. Thankfully Celeste had only received some bruises from the battle.

Shaking his head, Jonathan forced his mind back to the conversation. “You never did tell me why you fought to keep Mara.”

“You never asked me,” she replied with a broad smile.

He smiled slightly in return. “I’m asking you now.”

“I guess one of the main reasons is that I was her,” she stated bluntly. “It took them almost two weeks to locate Aunt Grace and inform her about me. During that time, I was placed in foster care.”

“Celeste, I didn’t know.”

“How could you?” she said with a shrug. “It’s not something I’ve told you before. But I know what it’s like to think that no one will want you. I didn’t want Mara to spend years of her life like that. Besides, she’s a good kid.”

“You’re amazing.” Jonathan gently brushed some hair from her face, revealing discolored skin underneath. “Ice should help this.”

Celeste flinched as Jonathan gently pressed an ice pack to the largest bruise, which ran along her jaw. He tried to pull the bag away, but she quickly covered his hand with hers. At his look of concern, she smiled.

“It’s just a reflex,” she explained, rubbing the hand she held. “You think I'd be use to this by now.”

Jonathan managed a wry smile. “I’d be worried if you were too use to this. Sofia did manage to fare better you did, right?”

“Yes, she did,” Celeste replied, her smile broadening. “In fact, I’d be in worse shape if she hadn’t shown up to help.”

He chuckled softly. “I’m glad you’ve finally seen it that way.”

“Who’s side were you on?” she demanded, looking up to face him.

He raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t realize that we had to choose sides. Is it too late to cast my vote?”

“You make it very hard for me to stay mad at you, do you know that?”

He smiled as he lowered his face to hers. “I try,” he replied before covering her lips briefly with his own. “I love you.”

With wide eyes, Celeste pulled back. “You what?”

“You didn’t want me to say that. Hey, I understand.” With a pained expression, he tried to step away from her.

Celeste’s grip on his hand became a vise, keeping him near her. “Jonathan, I’m sorry.”

He nodded but didn’t meet her gaze. With a broad smile, Celeste cupped his cheek with her free hand. “Jonathan, I love you, too.”

Surprised brown eyes stared at her. “You do?”

Laughing, she kissed him. “Yes, I love you.”

“Then, why did you say you were sorry?”

“I’ve been wanting to tell you that for so long,” she admitted. “I’m sorry that I waited for you to say it first.”

Jonathan smiled. “But you said it.”

“And so did you,” Celeste replied quietly.

This kiss was different. It sealed the link between them, strengthening their already existing bond. They both were so caught up in it, they were unaware when the ice pack hit the floor.

* * * * *

Propping herself up on her elbow, Celeste watched Jonathan as he slept. His dark hair was messed up from sleep, but it was still much more tamer than her red tresses at the moment. Several images of their evening flashed through her mind, making her smile.

With a funny huff, he rolled toward her, jarring her slightly. At the impact, his dark eyes immediately opened. He blinked several times, as if he was unsure about something, before giving her a lazy, sleepy smile.

“Good morning,” she greeted, carefully watching his face.

“Good morning,” he echoed, leaning up to kiss her briefly. “How do you feel?”

“Wonderful, and you?”

He tucked a strand of the wild hair behind her ear. “Never better, but I thought you weren’t a morning person.”

“Usually I’m not, but I don’t usually wake up like this either.”

He mimicked her pose, propping himself on an elbow as well to face her better. “Celeste, you know that we didn’t have to . . .”

She silenced him with a finger against his lips, closing the distance between them. “If I had wanted us to stop, I would have let you know. But I wanted to be with you.”

Removing her finger, Celeste softly kissed him. “I love you but I’m afraid that this might all end between us.”

“I will do all I can to never hurt you, Celeste,” he vowed, his brown eyes steadily reaching hers.

“I know that,” she replied quietly. “But how long will we love each other, Jonathan?”

“Always,” he breathed, pulling her tightly to him. “Celeste, always.”


	23. Epilogue: A Nocturnal Meeting

“You’re late,” the woman with long, purple hair stated with a broad grin. “How ironic, you being the Guardian of Time and all.”

Setsuna smiled slightly as she admired the view of the city below them. “Even after all these millennia, you are still the same.”

Not offended, the other woman laughed and joined Setsuna at the railing. However, as she stared at the bright lights of Tokyo, she sobered. “Amazing how those lights can hide all the ugliness that lingers in it.”

Setsuna nodded thoughtfully. “There’s beauty there, too.”

The two women stood in silence for a while, letting their thoughts drift as they studied the lights. Finally, the other woman sighed and sat down on a nearby bench. A few moments later, Setsuna joined her.

“Yochi Tomiko, tell me,” Setsuna said quietly. “Whatever message you bring, waiting is not going to make it easier to hear.”

Shaking her head, Tomiko studied her friend. “You're still as blunt as ever, but you are right. Waiting will not make hearing my message easier. Sol will be tested.”

“Tested by who?” Setsuna demanded.

“It’s not clear,” Tomiko replied.

“Will she succeed?” Tomiko hesitated, alarming Setsuna further. “Tell me. Will Sol survive?”

“No.”

Setsuna muttered a curse. “Why now?”

Tomiko shook her head. “Setsuna, you of all people know that there is no easy answer to that question. As she is now, Sol will be defeated.”

“As she is now,” the Guardian of Time repeated. “Tomiko, what are you hinting at?”

“You know what I’m hinting at.”

Setsuna gazed down at the city lights once more. “And is this part of your message as well?”

“No, I’m bending the rules a bit because I know how important Sol is to you,” Tomiko stated, “and I know that she has a good life now. There is a way for us to help her. It doesn’t have to end that way.”

“You know what you're suggesting we do.”

Tomiko nodded. “I do, Pluto. What do you say?”


End file.
